Lost Boys
by starzee
Summary: Starting at 'The Dinner Party', Damon realizes that he has feelings for Alaric and starts to all out avoid him. How will Ric take that?  Damon/Ric and Stefan/Caroline romance, Damon/Anna and Damon/Caroline friendship
1. Introduction

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**I know I shouldn't start another story when I can't keep up with the ones I've started but I can't help it! I had this idea and I had to write!**

**This starts during 'The Dinner Party' when Alaric kills Elijah. I don't think I'm going to use any more scenes from the show, I might though but they will probably be modified. I'm going to follow the story line mostly though, but there's no point in rewriting the show! :D**

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 1: Introduction

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><p>Damon stared in shock, awe, disbelief and in a little bit of pride and fear too. He'd underestimated Ric all the while... not greatly, but still. He respected him and... cared? Nah.<p>

He watched Elijah grey and die and he stood frozen as he wasn't sure what to do. He kind of wanted to jump up and down shouting 'Hooray' but Damon Salvatore does not do that. Ric put the dagger on the table and stared him straight in the eye. Damon was so frozen in place it was like he'd been compelled to stay still... He knew his usual blank mask of indifference had shot out the window but he couldn't help it. He still stared at Ric, unable to speak.

"Now get rid of him... Before Jenna comes back with dessert." Ric said to Damon quietly but firmly. Damon was incredibly turned on by the situation, much to his own dismay... But he wrote it off as vampire nature. A good kill could do that to him. Sure. That was it. Definitely.

"'Kay." Damon whispered back, unable to really find his voice. He forced himself to move then slung the Original over his shoulder to take him down to the cell. He wanted a minute to just make sense of his reaction... Not that it meant anything... But Ric followed him down.

"You said there wasn't going to be any violence." Ric said as Elijah was put down on the floor. Damon glanced at him with that stupid smug face Ric hated.

"Says the guy who did all the killing." Damon quipped and Ric was outraged.

"Hey!" Ric said grabbing Damon's arm. A move that would get anyone else killed. "I took the shot because I saw an opening, not because I planned to do this with Jenna in the house. Now you can't lie to me like that." Damon made an asshole face at him that basically said 'I can do whatever I want' when Ric grabbed his arm again. "I am your friend, dammit." Ric stated and Damon tried to hide his shock by glancing down at Elijah. "And you don't have any friends." Damon stared Ric right in the eyes. "So no more lying." Ric declared and Damon thought about it for a moment. Ric really meant it. He was his friend. Of course he knew that already but it wasn't something they talked about. Damon nodded curtly in agreement, in the most serious expression Ric had seen directed towards him, then nodded towards the door and walked out of it.

Damon didn't like this one bit. He considered that he would most likely have killed anyone else before they got this close to him... This close? How close? His mind was going through everything Alaric related. The path they'd forged since their first meeting, through fighting side by side to being drinking buddies. He realised that he talked to Alaric on the phone practically every day and if he didn't he usually had drinks with him either at the bar or at the boarding house. They'd become close and he hadn't even registered it... Too close... Damon realised that he cared. He cared about Alaric fucking Saltzman... But in what way? He admitted that he was an attractive guy; it was hot when he went all vampire hunter and that blue shirt he wore sometimes flattered his chest in just the right...

"Dammit!" He muttered to himself.


	2. The 'Avoid Alaric' Plan

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**So, I've decided for my story, Alaric does not become possessed by Klaus, Jeremy does ;)**

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 2

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><p>Damon walked out of his bathroom after telling Katherine to get the hell out. He lay down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. How could he feel something for Alaric Saltzman of all people? Sure he'd slept with guys over the many years he'd been a vampire since boredom came with the territory and but he would still class himself as straight. He'd never felt something for a guy before and he just had to stop. Now.<p>

It wasn't working and he sighed loudly. He was supposed to be in love with Elena. That's what he was supposed to be focused on but no... He couldn't stop thinking about Alaric. It was driving him nuts. He figured that his best plan of action would just be to avoid him as much as possible until the feeling went away. He just had to go to sleep and stop thinking about it so much.

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><p>Two days went by and he realised that it was easier said than done to stop feeling for Ric and to avoid him, considering he had to call Alaric to tell him Isobel was back. He scowled at Stefan and felt particularly hateful towards him that morning which surprised Stefan since they seemed to be getting along better now. He stared at his phone for a few minutes before actually calling; contemplating just texting him but that was a dick move even for him.<p>

"_Hey, I called you last night, were you busy?_" Alaric asked and Damon scowled again, not that Ric could see him. His voice made Damon's stomach twist in a way that wasn't exactly uncomfortable and Damon hated it.

"No time to chat, Stefan just wanted me to tell you that Isobel dropped by on Jenna. Ok, gotta run." Damon said then hung up before Alaric could say anything else. Much to his dismay Alaric called him right back but he ignored the call. The last thing he wanted to do was speak to him again. He could feel anger flare up inside him and he threw his glass at the wall, shattering it. He went to get another one since he needed another drink when he noticed there weren't any glasses left. Great. Now he was just going to have to go buy more glasses.

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><p>Damon got the call about John and went to investigate, thrilled that the dick was dead. He was positively fuming when he saw Ric's ring on John's finger but he couldn't let it show too much in front of the Sheriff and Carol. He took John back to the boarding house since he would have to get the ring back from him when he woke up... Then possibly, Damon would kill him again... After showing the Sheriff that he was alive, of course.<p>

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><p>When John woke up, Damon raced towards him and lifted him off the ground by the collar.<p>

"I swear... I had no idea what she was going to do." John pleaded as Damon stood contemplating just killing the bastard again. "I'm sorry." He said to Damon then turned to look at Elena. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Damon, let him go." Elena said reluctantly and Damon turned to look at her like she was crazy. "He and I need to talk." Elena said and Damon nodded but didn't put John down.

"But first..." Damon said to John. "You're going to give me Ric's ring back and if you don't, I'll rip your head off. Literally. I don't think your little ring can bring you back from that." Damon seethed and John nodded fearfully.

"Damon." Elena chastised.

"No, Elena. It's Ric's. He's on our side and he stands up with us every time to protect you. You will not side with this weasel." Damon spat and Elena looked startled but she couldn't exactly disagree with him, could she? Damon dropped John from his hanging position and he stumbled before he fell over. Damon held out his hand. "Ring. Now." Damon said and John took off the ring and handed it over. "There's a good little weasel." Damon mocked then turned around and got his jacket from the couch and slipped it on.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked surprised.

"To the circus." Damon mocked. "Where the hell do you think I'm going?" He rolled his eyes. He might be trying to avoid Ric but he didn't want him dead either and considering how often the man died, he needed his ring. He slipped the ring into his pocket and left the boarding house while Stefan, Elena and John stared after him.

"I'll just get it back from Ric when Damon's not around." John shrugged.

"John, don't be stupid. Damon won't hesitate to kill you, regardless of who your daughter is." Stefan said in disbelief.

"Do you see what you surround yourself with, Elena?" John asked.

"Damon protects me whereas you only pretend to." Elena shrugged. "Honestly, I'm surprised he let you live this long." She replied shocking both Stefan and John.

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><p>Damon hadn't been invited into Ric's apartment but he knew where it was. He made his way over reluctantly as he considered just putting it through the letter box but he was never a coward before and he wasn't going to start now. He walked into the apartment building and went up to Ric's door. He could hear Ric watching TV and rolled his eyes. He had feelings for a teacher who watched daytime TV... how the hell did that happen? He knocked on the door and heard Ric walk over and look through the peep hole. Ric opened the door and smiled, causing Damon's stomach to do that thing again which only made him mad.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Ric asked with a smile.

"Just returning what's yours." Damon said as he pulled out the ring and tossed it to Ric who caught it easily. Ric looked surprised but touched at Damon's kindness. That annoyed Damon. He kind of wanted to kill him just to prove he was still Damon Salvatore, vampire not to be trusted, but he knew he would never hurt Ric.

"Thank you." Ric said trying to contain his glee.

"Yeah, well. It would be better if you came back the next time you died." Damon shrugged. "Later." Damon said and turned around.

"Want to come in for a drink?" Ric asked and Damon froze. Ric just invited him in. He really didn't know what to do. On the one hand, he really did want to go in and have a drink with him. On the other, he was trying to avoid him! But most of all... he couldn't just stand there frozen in the hallway, and he had been for too long while he thought about what to do.

"You do know... you just invited me in..." Damon said with a forced smirk.

"Yeah." Alaric nodded like it was no big deal. "So?" He shrugged.

"Uh..." Damon replied as he still hadn't decided. No. He had to start avoiding him. Especially since he was wearing the blue shirt... "Can't. Busy, busy day." Damon said.

"Why, what's going on?" Ric asked. Damon wanted to yell 'Stop talking so I can leave!' but that would be showing too much emotion.

"John's interrogation." Damon shrugged.

"Can I come?" He asked casually.

"No!" Damon said too quickly and Alaric looked confused and startled and Damon wanted to slap himself. "I... just... Believe me. You don't want to be there." Damon said, covering.

"Damon, is everything okay? You're acting weird, even for you." Ric said and he looked worried. Damon cursed him internally for looking so worried. Why couldn't Ric just dislike him like everyone else? Why did he have to go and be all nice and friendly and wear that god damn blue shirt!

"You should really stop wearing that shirt." Damon said before he could stop himself then his eyes widened for a second, something that Alaric didn't miss, then Damon was gone. He sped away so fast; you'd think he was a bullet. He just had to get out of there. Once he was in the woods he punched a tree, causing it to fall over and... he looked down at his hand... give him splinters. "Dammit!" He yelled then sped back to the boarding house.

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><p>He stomped into the boarding house swearing like a trooper since his hand couldn't heal with all of the wood that was still in it. Stefan appeared out of nowhere looking alarmed then noticed Damon's hand.<p>

"What happened?" Stefan asked confused.

"I punched a tree." Damon said grumpily as he pushed Stefan aside. They had a little first aid kit in the house, in case Elena ever needed it and he got it then sat down on the couch, taking the tweezers out to begin removing the splinters.

"Uh... why did you punch a tree?" Stefan asked cautiously.

"Felt like it." Damon snapped. Stefan could tell that Damon was angry about something and knew that didn't bode well for anyone.

"Damon... please, don't take this the wrong way..." Stefan said like he was talking to a rabid dog that could attack any moment. Damon looked up at him and narrowed his eyes. "Want to talk about it?" Stefan asked finally and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Why would I want to talk about it? With you of all people?" Damon snapped and continued pulling out the splinters. He'd had far worse injuries in the past so he could control himself not to show the pain. Stefan noticed that he'd been particularly hateful the last two days but didn't know why.

"Maybe because things are unsettled enough right now without adding you to our list of problems." Stefan pointed out.

"I'll just get drunk. Problem solved." Damon replied. "Tada." He said in a mocking tone and Stefan sighed in annoyance.

"There was a time you used to tell me everything and vice versa." Stefan pointed out and Damon snorted.

"And if I thought you could keep your mouth shut, I might tell you things, but you can't, so I don't." Damon replied.

"I would never tell anyone anything you told me in confidence." Stefan said affronted.

"Really?" Damon sneered. "I highly doubt it." Damon replied.

"I swear, Damon. You can talk to me." Stefan said soothingly and Damon looked up at him in consideration. He did want to get it out to someone. All of this humanity he had seeping through was getting to him, big time and he did want to let it out before it completely infuriated him. He couldn't afford another Jessica confession. And he had been getting along better with Stefan. "We could go somewhere." Stefan replied as he could see Damon was considering it. "Just the two of us and talk." He suggested and Damon pulled the last couple of splinters from his hand then watched it heal. "What about the falls?" Stefan asked since Damon hadn't turned him down. Damon could hear the hope in his voice and as much as he wanted to just shoot him down... he kind of liked the idea of getting a little closer to his brother again.

"On one condition." Damon said quietly and Stefan grinned innocently at the thought of the progress this would be in their relationship. Damon noticed it and saw his little brother again.

"What?" Stefan asked with a smile and Damon stood up and walked over to the liquor cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of his favourite bourbon and a bottle of Stefan's favourite whiskey. He threw the bottle to Stefan and he caught it easily. "Deal." Stefan smiled.

"And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, you'll regret it." Damon warned but Stefan could hear the insecurity there.

"Never." Stefan shook his head and Damon nodded.

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><p>They arrived at the falls shortly after and Damon sat down at the edge of the water and opened his bottle then took a big gulp from it. Stefan sat down next to him and started to drink from his own bottle. Stefan didn't push it because he knew the slightest thing could put Damon off telling him what was going on. Damon didn't really know where to start. There was actually a lot he wanted to talk about.<p>

"So anything I tell you here, you'll keep to yourself?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow.

"I promise." Stefan nodded.

"I killed someone." Damon replied and Stefan looked surprised. That was not what he was expecting.

"When?" Stefan asked.

"The night I had to stake Rose." Damon replied.

"The missing girl on the news?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded.

"Jessica." Damon replied. Her face haunted him. If he'd just killed her, it wouldn't haunt him but he'd talked to her. He'd terrified her.

"Why are you telling me that?" Stefan asked. He was trying to be supportive of their new patched up relationship but he couldn't help worry that his brother was killing again.

"Because it haunts me." Damon said quietly. "She haunts me." Damon added. "It was after I killed rose. I was drunk off my ass and Rose had helped me kill her when she was dying. I went into her dream to say goodbye and give her time to be at her human home in the sunshine, one last time before she died. Then she did a countdown for me... She knew what I was going to do, but it's like she made it okay for me to do it. She understood." Damon said as he started to get a little emotional. "So after I killed Rose, Elena's all like 'don't stop feeling' and 'don't give up' blah blah blah... So I got hammered and I just wanted to turn it all off." Damon said and Stefan was truly startled at just how much Damon was telling him. He was a little angry that Damon had killed again but the fact that his brother was feeling so much was far more important to him.

"Then what happened?" Stefan asked softly.

"Then I was lying in the middle of the road, watching the stars when Jessica stopped her car. I compelled her to stand still while I gave her a drunken rant about everything I was feeling. When I let her go, she ran back to the car... I heard her heartbeat and I snapped. Before I even knew what had happened, she was dead." Damon replied.

"What was your drunken rant?" Stefan asked.

"I told her I couldn't be what you all want me to be... And it's true. I don't want to feel all of this all the time. I'm feeling too much... about everything." He said. "I told her I miss being human." He said quietly.

"So do I." Stefan nodded. "You'll get used to the feelings again. I know it's a lot to handle in such a short space of time." He said. "I'll help you with it." He promised. "But that's not what you wanted to talk about." Stefan said and Damon nodded. It was true. That wasn't what he wanted to talk about.

"True." Damon said.

"Is it Elena? Is that what you want to talk about?" Stefan asked gently.

"No, actually." Damon chuckled humourlessly. "I've realised that I have feelings for someone else on top of having them for Elena." Now that surprised Stefan. He hadn't seen that coming at all.

"Who?" He asked curiously.

"I don't think I can even say it out loud." Damon admitted.

"Is it... Alaric?" Stefan asked and Damon looked at him completely horrified. Was it obvious? Did people know? DID RIC KNOW?

"Oh, god." Damon said as he buried his face in his hands then to his surprise Stefan put his arm around his shoulders.

"No, it's not obvious." Stefan said quietly, understanding Damon's horrified look. "I didn't even put it together until you mentioned having feelings for someone else." Stefan said.

"Stefan." He said shaking his head.

"What are you going to do about it?" Stefan asked softly but curiously.

"Avoid him 'til it goes away." Damon said immediately.

"Why?" Stefan asked surprised and Damon turned to look at him like he was crazy.

"Are you out of your mind? I have one friend and I... No. Absolutely not." Damon said getting frustrated.

"Hey, it's okay. Just have a drink." Stefan pointed to the bottle sitting between Damon's legs. Damon took a big swig of it then sighed.

"This is embarrassing." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Why? It's just me here. We're still brothers despite everything. We were once the best of friends... you'll always be able to tell me anything." Stefan said to him and Damon was surprised at how much Stefan seemed to care.

"I'm not..." Damon started and Stefan understood what he was trying to say.

"You're still a straight man, Damon. Having feelings for one person does not change that." Stefan replied.

"How did you know what I was trying to say?" Damon asked confused and Stefan smiled at him fondly.

"I've known you a long time." He replied. "When you aren't scheming up something, I usually know how you think." He chuckled and Damon smirked at the 'scheming' comment. "How long have you known?" Stefan asked.

"Two days." Damon replied and Stefan now understood why Damon had been such a grump for the last couple of days.

"Don't you think he'll notice if you avoid him?" Stefan asked.

"What the hell else am I supposed to do? I can't turn it off anymore!" Damon yelled.

"Well, what do you like about him?" Stefan asked and Damon laughed awkwardly.

"Do you seriously want to sit here and gossip about boys?" Damon asked in disbelief and Stefan laughed.

"If it will help." Stefan smiled and Damon rolled his eyes but found it so awkward that it was amusing.

"I just want to do something that will make him hate me again. Then I don't have to worry about avoiding him. He'll avoid me." Damon said and Stefan shook his head.

"He's your friend, Damon. Don't lose a friend over this." He said softly. "Maybe he feels something back." Stefan shrugged and Damon laughed.

"And then what? We run off to Canada and get married then pick out China patterns?" Damon asked and Stefan laughed.

"Not exactly what I was implying." He grinned. "But every relationship is different; you wouldn't have to be conventional. I doubt you could ever be in a conventional, boring relationship." Stefan said.

"That's true." Damon nodded.

"That's actually why I'm kind of surprised that you like Elena... she is the conventional, boring relationship type." Stefan said and Damon laughed.

"I thought of that already." Damon smirked. "In a hypothetical world, if she was my girlfriend it would probably last about two weeks." He sniggered. "What are you going to do if she won't turn?" Damon asked.

"I'll let her go." Stefan replied sadly and Damon nodded. He could understand wanting her to have a normal life.

"Let's just get her past the Klaus debacle before you start thinking like that." Damon smirked and Stefan nodded.

"Ignoring Alaric isn't going to work." Stefan replied.

"It'll just have to." Damon shrugged.

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><p>Damon made his way to the Grill for a drink after his talk with Stefan. He felt closer to his brother and some of his anger was lifted. He sat at the bar with his bourbon, just staring into it. He didn't even hear Alaric approaching.<p>

"What's wrong with this shirt?" Ric asked amused as he sat down next to Damon. Damon sighed loudly. Of course he found him here.

"I have to find a new bar." He mumbled to himself.

"What's wrong with you?" Ric asked then Damon drank down the rest of his drink, put money down on the counter and turned to leave when Ric grabbed his arm. "Damon, you can talk to me." Ric said softly and Damon sighed again then shrugged off Ric's arm and continued to walk out of the Grill. Ric didn't understand. He ordered a drink and about twenty minutes later it was still bugging him so he called Stefan. Maybe he would know what was wrong.

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><p>Damon walked into the boarding house to find Stefan sprawled out on the couch reading a book.<p>

"Hey, what are you doing back so soon? I thought you were going for a drink." Stefan said curiously.

"You know who showed up." Damon replied as he knew Elena was in the house. He poured himself a drink into a mug since he hadn't bought new glasses yet then sat down at the other end of the couch, moving Stefan's legs onto his lap. Just then Stefan's phone rang.

"Hey, Alaric." Stefan answered and Damon's head snapped to look at his brother.

"_Hey, is there something wrong with Damon?_" He asked and Damon rolled his eyes while Stefan gave him a look that said 'told you so'.

"No, not that I've noticed." Stefan replied.

"_Oh, is he there, can he hear me?_" He asked and Damon shook his head 'no' since he wanted to hear what Ric would say.

"No, it's just me in the house. Damon's out at the Grill." Stefan replied and Damon smirked as his brother lied for him.

"_He was but he left. He acted all weird when he showed up to give me my ring, which was surprising in itself by the way; told me he didn't like my shirt then he took off. Then when I saw him at the Grill, he completely ignored me and left. I'm worried about him. Can you see if he's okay?_" Ric asked and if Damon could have he would have blushed. Stefan couldn't help it so he laughed.

"I don't know, Ric. Sounds just like Damon being Damon." Stefan replied. "But I'll ask when he gets home." Stefan said as he looked at Damon amused.

"_Thanks, Stefan._" Ric said then hung up and Stefan burst out laughing.

"Damon, this is ridiculous." Stefan said quietly.

"He'll get over it." Damon shrugged as he drank.

"What was the shirt thing?" Stefan asked as he bit his lip to refrain from laughing. Damon was acting like a little kid with a crush and it amused him to no end. Damon glared at him fiercely.

"I just don't think he should wear that particular shirt." Damon shrugged trying for indifference.

"What's wrong with it?" Stefan chuckled and Damon glared at him then Stefan's eyes widened in amusement. "You like it on him, don't you?" Stefan smirked.

"Shut up, Stefan." Damon muttered.

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><p>It was the day of the dance and Damon stood talking to Stefan, Elena and Bonnie about killing Klaus at the dance when Alaric came in the door. Damon stiffened automatically and casually put on his jacket then walked past Alaric and out the front door, not saying a word to anyone.<p>

"Where's he going?" Elena asked confused. They were supposed to be having a meeting about the dance. Stefan was trying not to crack up in amusement and they all noticed.

"Okay, Stefan. Seriously. What's going on with him?" Alaric asked and Stefan shook his head.

"I don't know." Stefan started to laugh. "He's just weird." Stefan said but started laughing again. It was just too funny. Then he got a text message from Damon and he laughed harder.

"Did he just text you?" Bonnie asked confused and Stefan nodded while he shook from laughter. He had to steady himself against the wall to keep from falling over. He'd never seen Damon act this ridiculously before. When he'd calmed down, he spoke again.

"Damon wants to know if you'll put him down as a chaperone at the dance." Stefan said while he wiped laughter tears away from his eyes. Alaric's expression deadpanned.

"Why didn't he just ask before he left?" He asked confused.

"I guess he only just thought of it." Stefan lied.

"Do you know something that you aren't telling us?" Elena asked suspiciously and Stefan smiled.

"Nope. I don't know a thing." Stefan replied but Elena knew he was lying.

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><p>Damon was in the woods by the house waiting for Alaric to leave. He could hear Stefan laughing like a hyena but not the conversation they were having. He considered leaving Mystic Falls... Bonnie would kill Klaus and Stefan could protect Elena... they didn't really need him. But then he figured maybe he would get lucky and he'd be a casualty instead of someone else that Elena cared about... so he had to stay. He sighed in annoyance. Rose was right – caring get's you dead.<p>

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><p>Damon was dancing away with some girl wearing a blue wig when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He was actually having a great time so he was smiling widely when he turned around until he came face to face with Ric and his smile fell.<p>

"Can this wait? I'm dancing." Damon said annoyed and Ric raised an eyebrow.

"No, it's about you know who." Alaric lied and Damon rolled his eyes and followed him out to the hallway in the school. Alaric turned to face him. "Okay, I lied. Why are you avoiding me?" Ric asked and Damon could tell that it was upsetting him.

"I'm not avoiding you. I've just had stuff to do whenever I've seen you recently." Damon said and Alaric laughed. It was basically the same thing.

"So important that you can't even say hi?" Ric asked sceptically.

"When do I ever say 'hi'?" Damon asked.

"Are you mad at me or something?" Ric asked confused.

"No, can I go back to dancing now?" Damon asked annoyed and Ric sighed in defeat.

"I'm your friend, Damon. I care about you. You can trust me if you want to talk." Alaric said and Damon shuddered. He didn't want to talk to him of all people about anything.

"You shouldn't care about me." Damon replied then darted back into the dance.

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><p>Needless to say Elena was distraught when she found out that Jeremy was being possessed by Klaus, as was Bonnie. It hurt Bonnie to have to hurt Jeremy and that's why she agreed to do the spell that Damon suggested... Making Klaus think that she was dead. Damon carried her body to the car and Alaric came running up to him as he was closing the trunk.<p>

"Damon! What happened?" He asked Damon.

"Bonnie's dead. Make yourself useful and get in the car." Damon said as he couldn't take the dead witch into the house where they were burned as they would no doubt think he was the cause of her death. Alaric got in and Damon drove away.

"I can't believe Bonnie's dead." Alaric said sadly.

"She isn't really dead dead." Damon said. "Klaus just had to think she was dead." Damon explained and Alaric sighed in relief.

"So are you going to tell me why you've been avoiding me, now?" Alaric asked and Damon huffed in annoyance.

"I'm not avoiding you!" Damon exclaimed but now Alaric knew he was lying.

"What did I do?" Ric asked softly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Damon said dismissively.

"If you don't want me around why did you tell me to get in the car?" Ric asked.

"I need you to carry her body into the witch's house." He shrugged and Ric sighed. Damon could never just let someone in.

"I really don't think this is fair, Damon." Alaric replied calmly. "We've fought side by side for months, spent hours talking and having drinks and you won't even tell me what I did to upset you." Ric said. "And don't say it's nothing because I've seen you happily talk to everyone else but me." Damon didn't say anything at all. He couldn't risk it. But he could clearly see the faults in his 'avoid Alaric' plan. "And now you're ignoring me again." Ric rolled his eyes. "Why did you bring me the ring if you don't even give a crap?" He asked annoyed.

"It's your ring." Damon shrugged. "Couldn't have John wearing it." Damon didn't speak to Alaric the rest of the way, even though Alaric kept trying to start a conversation. He quickly dropped Bonnie off at the house then ran back down to the car where Damon was waiting. Damon drove him back to his apartment in silence and it was really getting to Ric so he decided to try again.

"You want to come in for a drink?" Ric asked though he knew Damon would say no.

"Can't. Have to go deal with Elena. She thinks Bonnie is really dead." Damon explained and Ric nodded.

"Fine." Ric said and started to get out of the car when he turned around to look at Damon. "You know, whatever is bugging you, I hope you tell me soon because I'd be sad to lose you." Ric said then left, leaving a gobsmacked Damon staring after him.


	3. Confessions of a Dead Man

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**So I've made changes to the story line from the show to suit my own story. After this chapter it will be completely away from the show story line.**

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 3

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><p>Damon was pissed. Things were not going the way he wanted them to. He'd managed to avoid Alaric completely since the night of the dance. The problem was that no matter how much he avoided him, he still spent all day with only Alaric in his mind. The brilliant plan wasn't working... It seemed he felt much more deeply that he had originally anticipated. It was quite possible that Damon was falling in love with him but he wouldn't let himself fall completely. He couldn't go through the unrequited love thing again. He was also pissed off at Stefan who kept trying to talk him into talking to Alaric, so in a fit of anger he did something he shouldn't have. Between Stefan nagging him and Alaric staying in the boarding house, seemingly working things out with Jenna much to Damon's annoyance... He forced his blood down Elena's throat so she would turn at the ritual. He shouldn't have done that. He knew that. The ritual was only hours away and he was a ball of pent up emotions. He felt anger, confusion, hurt, regret and guilt over everything that had been happening and he didn't know what to do about it. He had to do something. He was sitting in the Grill at the bar thinking all of this over when Ric came over.<p>

"I'll have the same." Ric motioned to the bartender.

"I screwed up." Damon said to him. Ric looked over at Damon.

"Yeah, you did." Ric said softly but there was no condemnation in his tone.

"Gentleman, why so glum?" A voice asked and Damon just knew. He looked over and sighed in annoyance. They had a brief conversation where Damon requested a month's postponement and Klaus more or less laughed in his face. Once Klaus was gone, Damon turned back to Rick, his awkwardness forgotten for a moment.

"That was fun." Damon said humourlessly.

"You're going to screw it up, aren't you?" Ric asked and Damon was surprised by the worry in his voice.

"Do you think if I took his werewolf out of the equation, she might get over the fact I tried to turn her into a vampire?" Damon asked and Alaric deadpanned.

"I think it won't matter, because you'll be dead." Alaric said seriously.

"But without the werewolf, he can't perform the ritual tonight which means I would have bought her one month before the next full moon." He said animated. Yes, he liked that idea.

"You'll still be dead." Alaric said sadly.

"What does that matter?" Damon said in confusion. Nobody would care if Damon died except maybe Stefan but even that was questionable now.

"Are you kidding me right now?" Alaric asked in disbelief.

"Nobody would give a rat's ass if I died, but at least this way, Elena won't have to be a vampire." Damon said as he perked up.

"I would care if you died." Ric said sincerely but Damon waved him off.

"You'd get over it." Damon smirked. "You going to help me, or what?" He asked but he was considering what Alaric was saying.

"What do you want me to do?" Alaric asked. Clearly Damon wasn't listening to him so he might as well go along and stop him from doing anything too stupid. As it turned out, all he needed Alaric to do was get the owner of the apartment Klaus was keeping Katherine in to come outside so he could compel her to invite him in. He was surprised that it worked actually; he didn't think Klaus would be so careless.

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><p>Damon was hiding his wolf bite all day though Alaric could tell there was something wrong with him while he was at the witches' house. When they were leaving to go to the ritual, Damon took one last look at Alaric as he yelled at them to let him out. He might never see him again and he wanted to remember everything about him. They got to the ritual and Damon killed Greta while Bonnie took care of Klaus – then Elijah betrayed them just as Damon knew he would. He took Elena back to the witches' house and waited for her to wake up. To his great pleasure, she woke up human. He looked over his shoulder and saw Alaric. For a moment he wanted to run over and hug him – which was a strange reaction considering he didn't hug people. He knew Jenna's death would hurt him and it made the guilt far worse. If he'd just left well enough alone then it would be Caroline and Tyler that would be dead, although that wasn't really any better. He then thought of his wolf bite and figured he would at least be getting what he deserved.<p>

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><p>Much to Damon's complete annoyance, everyone found out about the bite anyway. He wanted to slap Stefan silly but he couldn't because he was locked in the cell. He could hear Alaric coming and that made him furiously angry. He had specifically asked Stefan to keep Elena and Alaric in the dark because he didn't want to see them.<p>

"Have a drink with me." Ric said putting a tumbler on the ledge at the bars. A drink did sound good so Damon forced himself to stand up and took the glass. He downed it in one go. "You're not going to die, Damon. Stefan will find a way." Ric said soothingly and Damon rolled his eyes.

"He should just stake me and get it over with." Damon said annoyed.

"Why are you so hell bent on dying?" Ric asked confused.

"Because then I'll be finished." Damon said in a longing voice. He knew he was going straight to the fiery pits of hell but he was sure he could find something fun to do there, what with all the insane and murderous kindred spirits he would meet.

"You're not finished yet, Damon." Ric said softly and Damon wanted to snap but there was nothing in the cell to break or kill so he stood still.

"Can you do me a favour, Ric?" Damon asked gently in a tone Ric had never heard before.

"What?" Ric asked cocking his head to the side.

"Can you leave me to rot in peace?" Damon asked unable to look at him.

"I'm not going anywhere." Ric said softly and Damon sighed.

"Well, can you at least get me a blood bag then?" Damon huffed and Ric chuckled.

"Sure, one sec." He said then went into the cellar. Damon heard footsteps but there wasn't much he could do about it. He overhead Ric telling the Sheriff not to barge in. 'Great, that's all we need right now.' Damon thought to himself. The Sheriff locked Alaric in the cellar then opened the cell door. Damon pushed her out of the way and took off up the stairs, but not before punching the cellar door resulting in it breaking open so Ric could get out. He made his way to the town square and he could feel waves of nausea washing over him while he wavered in and out of lucidity. He found Elena and bit her, but took hardly any blood as he was reliving a memory of Katherine. Alaric caught up to them and took Damon to the boarding house and put him in his bed. Damon felt truly helpless but didn't want Ric to suffer if he had a moment of insanity and killed him.

"You need to go. I could hurt you." Damon said hoarsely as he sputtered blood and Ric sat down beside where he lay on the bed.

"I have my ring." Ric shrugged. "I'm not going to let you die alone." Ric said softly.

"I was wrong all of those years when I blamed Stefan for everything... I made my choice and it was the wrong one." He said weakly. "Tell Stefan I'm sorry. Please." Damon pleaded with Ric. Ric nodded and took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Just hold on, Damon. Just a little longer." Ric said emotionally.

"This is even more pitiful than I thought." Damon croaked.

"There's still hope, Damon." Ric said softly.

"I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this... I deserve to die." Damon said and it frightened Ric just how strongly Damon believed that.

"No." Ric shook his head. "You don't."

"I do, Ric. It's ok." He smiled lightly. "If I'd chosen differently I wouldn't have met you." He said softly and Ric was surprised and confused.

"But, you don't even like me." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled lightly.

"You don't know how wrong you are." Damon replied quietly.

"What do you mean?" Ric asked still holding Damon's hand.

"You were right, I was avoiding you." Damon said sadly looking down at their locked hands. He was never going to tell him but he figured he might as well get it off his chest while he still could.

"Why?" Ric asked softly.

"Because, I feel things for you that go beyond friendship." Damon replied in a whisper, unable to look Ric in the eyes. "I have for a while. And the shirt thing... It's because you look hot in it." He replied with amusement. "I knew you would never feel the same way and I thought it would go away if I avoided you." He said in a raspy voice and Ric still couldn't speak. He would never have thought that Damon would feel something for him. "Stefan tried to tell me that avoiding you would never work but I ignored him." Damon said and certain things were clicking into place for Ric. He was shocked but he didn't let go of Damon's hand. "You should have met me when I was human, we would have been best friends... you would have liked me." Damon said with a soft smile and Ric felt a tear escape his eye. How could there be a world with no Damon Salvatore in it?

"I like you now. Just the way you are." Ric said honestly. "And you're already my best friend." He admitted and Damon smiled and closed his eyes then he no longer moved. Tears flowed freely down Ric's face as Damon stopped breathing. He was sure that was it and he gasped at the pain he felt at his loss. Just then Stefan came bounding in the room and went straight over to Damon. Stefan forced his mouth open and poured a vial of blood down Damon's throat. "Is it too late?" Ric asked blinded by tears.

"I can still sense him even though it's faint." Stefan replied then rolled up Damon's sleeve. The bite was healing. "It's healing." Stefan smiled widely and Ric sighed in relief. "You need to go, Alaric." Stefan said seriously.

"Why?" Ric asked confused.

"Because he's going to wake up hungry. Really hungry." Stefan said worriedly.

"You'll take care of him?" Ric asked for confirmation and Stefan smiled and nodded.

"I heard what he said to you." Stefan said softly and Ric gasped in surprise. "Please, don't make him feel worse than he already does about it. He wouldn't have told you had he not been dying." Stefan admitted and Alaric nodded. He figured that much out for himself.

"I'd never make him feel bad about it." Ric said. "Though I'm not sure how I feel about what he said."

"You have plenty of time to think about it." Stefan nodded then the two of them left the room. Alaric glanced back at Damon and noticed he was a little less pale already and he was thankful for that. Stefan went to get Damon bags of blood and Alaric left.

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><p>Damon woke up a short while later feeling groggy and dizzy. He felt better though.<p>

"Welcome back." Stefan smiled fondly at Damon while Damon's face fell.

"What happened?" Damon asked confused.

"I got you the cure." Stefan smiled happily and Damon scowled at him.

"Why didn't you just let me die? I told Ric!" Damon tried to yell but he was still too weak so it came out as more of a squeak, much to his embarrassment.

"I didn't let you die because you're my brother and I love you." Stefan said and Damon huffed in annoyance.

"Did you ever consider that maybe I wanted to die?" Damon asked quietly and Stefan looked shocked. Damon slipped his hand under his pillow and pulled out the stake he'd left there. Stefan's eyes widened as he watched in horror as Damon lifted it to his chest. "I love you too, Stefan." Damon said and was about to plunge the stake in his chest when Stefan swooped forward and grabbed it, throwing it away from him. "Well, I did. Now I don't." Damon scowled and lay back down staring at the ceiling.

"You want to stake yourself because Alaric knows?" Stefan asked in disbelief. "That's just ridiculous."

"The whole thing is ridiculous, Stefan. Fine, since you won't let me die, I'm leaving Mystic Falls the second I'm back to normal." Damon said casually.

"You can't. I need you with me, Damon. We still need to figure out how to kill Klaus and Elijah." Stefan said.

"Why does it even matter? They will be long gone by now." Damon shrugged. "He got what he wanted here; we're of no consequence to him now." Damon said.

"You have a point." Stefan nodded. "But I think we should at least look into it." Stefan replied.

"Whatever." Damon frowned. "Got any blood?" Damon asked and Stefan chuckled then handed him a blood bag and left a couple next to him as he knew he would need more than one. "What was the miraculous cure anyway?" Damon said sarcastically as he sipped the blood.

"Klaus' blood." Stefan shrugged and sat down next to Damon.

"What did you have to do to get it?" Damon asked narrowing his eyes.

"I had to drain someone." Stefan replied. "He said something along the lines of 'a life for a life'." Stefan replied sadly.

"Did you stop at just one?" Damon asked as he knew Stefan hadn't killed anyone in a few years and it could reawaken the monster within.

"Yes." Stefan nodded. "But it was so hard." He shook his head.

"I don't think you should tell anyone about that, Stef." Damon said. "Thank you for doing it for me, but the rest of them won't understand." Damon said softly.

"You don't think I should tell Elena?" He asked nervously. Damon could tell he was still a little jittery.

"No." Damon shook his head. "Tell them all that he handed it over because he was in a good mood after breaking the curse." He chuckled and Stefan smiled at his brother. He was glad to see that Damon still wanted to protect him.

"Okay, I'll tell them that." He nodded.

"Or, even better, tell them you were given the cure on the stipulation that you couldn't tell anyone any details about it and you gave your word and they'll all know that you can't break your word." Damon smirked and Stefan laughed then his expression fell and he looked saddened. Damon reached out and held onto Stefan's shoulder. "I'll help you through it, Stef." Damon said softly. "You don't have to be that again." He said and Stefan smiled.

"I don't think I should go back to animal blood, though." Stefan said. "You were right, it keeps me weak." He said. "But I don't know how to do it without becoming the ripper again." He said and Damon nodded.

"We'll do it together, Stef. I'll teach you to be a normal vampire." Damon smirked and Stefan chuckled. "That will be an excellent distraction for me." Damon quipped.

"How do we start?" Stefan asked. "What will be the ideal amount of blood to have per week?" He asked nervously.

"One blood bag per day and feeding fresh twice a week. That's what we want to get you to." Damon said and Stefan's eyes widened.

"I can't feed fresh, I'll kill." He said panicked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Stefan, calm down. I'm not saying we're going to start the fresh feeding tomorrow. We'll get you into a routine first. One step at a time." Damon nodded. "Here, have a couple of sips of this. Only sips, though." Damon said and handed Stefan the bag he was sipping from. Stefan looked at it in fear. "Stefan, you just have to know that you control it... It doesn't control you." Damon said soothingly. "Believe it." He said and Stefan took a deep breath and took a sip. His face changed automatically. "Now give it back." Damon said and Stefan reluctantly gave it back. "Calm yourself and allow your face to change back." Stefan closed his eyes and calmed himself down and once he was calm, Damon gave him the bag back. "This is how I want you to drink it from now on. It's a drag but it'll help." Damon shrugged.

"I can do that." Stefan nodded.

"But I want you to tell me if you're losing it. Promise me." Damon said and Stefan was touched that his brother was really going to help him through it.

"I promise." He said softly.

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><p>The next morning, Damon was feeling much better so he could move around. He got out of bed and wandered down the stairs to find Stefan sitting on the couch looking glum.<p>

"What's going on?" Damon asked curiously.

"I told Elena to stay away from me for a little while so I can get control." Stefan replied and Damon sighed then sat down next to him.

"Stefan, I know you're feeling guilty right now about that girl and everyone else you ever killed but you need to stop. You need to stop until you have your routine." Damon said and Stefan looked confused.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because the worse you feel, the more you'll want to give into the blood." Damon said softly. "You know that, Stef. So you just have to find a way to forget them all, even if it's only for a few months. This sounds harsh, but they are dead, get over it. There's nothing you can do to change that they are dead except you can make sure it doesn't happen again." He said and Stefan looked at him in surprised. Was his brother really giving good advice for once?

"How?" Stefan asked.

"You have friends, a girlfriend; you have a life. You have a lot of great things to be happy for." Damon said. "So be happy. If you're happy, it'll make this all so much easier." Then Stefan gave a genuine smile.

"You're right." Stefan said and Damon nodded.

"Of course, I am." He smirked. He got Stefan a blood bag and they started Stefan's blood training. It took a while and Stefan found it incredibly hard but Damon was uncharacteristically patient with him and supportive. Stefan felt that with Damon's support and help, he could get through it. "You're not going to be totally stable for a couple of days, so it's probably best if you stay home." Damon said and Stefan nodded.

"I heard what you said last night." Stefan said and Damon sighed.

"Which part?" He asked. He knew the conversation was coming, he just figured he would have some time to prepare before anyone wanted to 'talk about it'.

"Just the last part." Stefan replied and that annoyed Damon.

"So you couldn't have raced in with the cure before I made a fool of myself?" Damon snapped.

"You had already started telling him when I came in." Stefan said. "I thought it would be more awkward for you to be cured while in the middle of telling him about it. I rushed in when you stopped talking and Alaric got upset. I thought I was too late." Stefan said sadly and Damon sighed.

"Could be worse." Damon smirked. "I could have tried to kiss him." Damon chuckled and Stefan joined him.

"What are you going to do about it?" Stefan asked. "Now that he knows."

"Become a recluse." Damon muttered and Stefan laughed.

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about." Stefan said to him. "I've seen women and men fall all over you trying to get your attention. He's lucky you noticed him." Stefan said then he laughed. "Do you remember that vampire that stalked you?" Stefan laughed and Damon groaned. "What was his name again?"

"Charlie. He still finds me every now and then." Damon complained. "He's convinced I'll have to cave sometime." Damon sighed.

"See? You have nothing to worry about." Stefan pointed out.

"Except Charlie." Damon sniggered.

"Ok, nothing but Charlie." Stefan laughed.

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><p>Alaric spent the morning thinking about Damon. He'd been so exhausted and mentally drained the night before that he had just passed out as soon as he got home. But now that he was awake and refreshed, he had to think about Damon. Damon was alive and well, so to speak... But Damon had admitted to having feelings for him. He didn't know what to do about that. He came from a liberal family and the way he was raised made him open minded when it came to sexuality. He had been attracted to men before but hadn't acted on it since he'd married Isobel when he was 21 after being with her for two years. He hadn't really had time to explore that side of himself and although he was curious about it and was interested, he wasn't sure that Damon was who he had in mind for that first experience.<p>

Alaric found Damon attractive; he could admit that Damon was ridiculously hot, but Damon also frightened him somewhat. He wasn't afraid that Damon would hurt him physically but Alaric was fragile emotionally – the only two women he'd ever loved, both died as vampires. If he were to see what could happen between him and Damon, he would have to be prepared to turn one day and he wasn't sure he wanted that. Damon wasn't the type you date for a while and see what happens... He was the type that you would fall into an all consuming love with and never be able to get out of it. He knew he had to talk to Damon about it because if they could reach some kind of compromise, he would be willing to try. He knew that he had just lost Jenna but things had been broken there for a while so he had started to get over it a little. He also knew how distraught he had been when Damon was going to die and the thought of losing him hurt Alaric. He really was his best friend and he'd become the one thing in his life that didn't change.

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><p>Stefan and Damon were sitting on the couch watching a movie when Damon's phone rang. He looked at who was calling and sighed.<p>

"Alaric?" Stefan asked when he saw Damon's conflicted expression.

"Yeah." Damon nodded.

"Just talk to him. You can hang up if it doesn't go your way." Stefan smirked and Damon chuckled. He had a point. "Want me to go?" Stefan asked.

"Nah, it's fine." Damon shrugged then pressed the answer button.

"Ric." He said.

"_For a minute there, I didn't think you would answer._" Ric said and Damon smirked.

"It crossed my mind." Damon said. He felt unbelievably awkward.

"_How are you feeling?_" Ric asked.

"Almost back to normal." Damon replied and Stefan smirked at him.

"_Feel like getting out of the house?_" Ric asked and Damon frowned. He had not been expecting that.

"Why?" Damon asked and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"_I thought we could have a drink._" Ric said and Damon's stomach fluttered much to his own annoyance.

"Uh... I can't really leave the boarding house yet." Damon said then closed his eyes, internally kicking himself at his stupid answer.

"_We should still talk though. Just for an hour?_" Ric asked and Stefan nodded.

"Where?" Damon asked as he saw his brother nodding that he'd be fine.

"_Why don't you come over? I have a rare bottle we could try._" Ric said and Damon's alcoholic side was looking forward to it.

"Fine, I'll be over soon." Damon said then hung up.

"Whatever he says... please don't snap." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I won't, I'll just come back and annoy you." Damon smirked and Stefan smiled. "I won't be away long. Don't let anyone in." Damon said as he pulled on his jacket. "And if you need me I can be here in a couple of minutes, okay?" Damon asked Stefan and Stefan smiled widely at him.

"Okay. Have fun." Stefan said.

"Don't hold your breath." Damon muttered then left the house.


	4. Not a Date

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 4

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><p>Damon stood outside Ric's door for about five minutes before he got up the nerve to knock. He wasn't sure he'd ever been so nervous before. He normally just drank away his problems or ran away, yet here he was... facing it like an adult. His cocky charm hadn't returned since he was on his death bed. He'd actually been decent to Stefan all day and it was making him itchy. He preferred to hide his feelings behind sarcasm, insults and bravado... He needed to get it back but was failing. He knocked lightly on the door after exhaling loudly. Ric opened the door and smiled at him leaving him with those blasted flutters again.<p>

"Hey." Ric smiled and stood to the side so Damon could come in. Damon walked in with a nod of his head as the only greeting. "You look a lot better today." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"You know me, eternal stud." Damon quipped and Ric chuckled as he walked over to the kitchen and pulled out two glasses.

"So, I found another bottle when I was packing earlier." Ric said and showed Damon the two bottles. "What one do you want to try first?" Ric asked and Damon looked at the bottles. He knew his whiskey and they were both collectables.

"Ric, those are both really rare. Maybe we should drink something else." Damon said cautiously.

"That's okay." Ric smiled. "I have a pretty big collection in storage." He said and Damon looked surprised. He had his own collection at a few of his properties.

"If you're sure." Damon shrugged and Ric nodded. Ric felt a little strange since Damon was acting so... un-Damon-like.

"Pick one." Ric motioned to the bottles and Damon looked them over again. One was a Macallan 1952 Speyside single malt and the other was an Auchentoshan 1962 malt. He'd had the Macallan before as he was a collector of the more expensive bottles out there.

"I haven't tried the Auchentoshan before." Damon admitted and Ric looked surprised.

"It was my grandfather's favourite. That's the drink that sealed my habit." He laughed and Damon smirked. Ric poured them a glass each and they took seats across from each other on either side of the kitchen table. Damon took a sip and Ric was right, it was truly something.

"Gramps had good taste." Damon said approvingly and Ric smiled that smile at him. The one that made him weak...

"How did Stefan manage to get Klaus' blood?" Ric asked and Damon looked conflicted. He didn't want to lie, but he and Stefan had decided not to tell anyone.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I can't tell you." Damon said and Ric looked surprised.

"Why not?" Ric asked cocking his head to the side.

"Because Stefan had to do something that Stefan wouldn't ever normally do and he'll be judged badly for it." Damon said and Ric nodded.

"Damon, I wouldn't tell anyone, if you wanted to tell me." Ric said softly and Damon knew it to be true.

"He had to kill someone. A human." Damon replied. "If the situation had been reversed, I would have killed 1000 people to get the cure for Stefan, but he's not like me. He's miserable over it and he shouldn't have bothered." Damon shrugged.

"I would have done it too, if I were him." Ric said and Damon was startled by his admission.

"That's why I really shouldn't have left him alone at the boarding house. He's not in control." Damon said and Alaric realised then that Klaus made him drain someone dry.

"Are you going to help him get back on animal blood?" Ric asked him and Damon shook his head.

"He's taking my advice for once. He's sticking with the human stuff. I'm going to help him with that. He needs to be in control. We can't afford this problem all the time." Damon said. "At least when I go on a killing spree, it isn't because I can't stop myself, it's just because I'm an evil bastard." Damon smirked and Ric looked surprised.

"How are you going to get him on human blood full time without him losing it?" Ric asked curiously.

"Like with any addict, he needs a routine." Damon shrugged. "He'll start with just blood bags and when I see he's improving I'll take him hunting."

"Hunting?" Ric asked and Damon smirked.

"I think you forget that we're vampires." Damon chuckled.

"I don't think I could ever forget that." Ric laughed. "You're not going to let him kill people though, right?" Ric asked.

"No. Stefan becomes the monster when he kills, because of the guilt. I'll just find someone for him to bite, have a couple of sips then stop. Then I'll compel them to forget." Damon shrugged.

"He can practice on me." Ric shrugged and Damon's jaw dropped.

"Are you out of your mind? No!" Damon exclaimed and Ric raised an eyebrow. Damon would have blushed then and there if he could have.

"Nothing will happen, I have my ring." Alaric said. That wasn't the problem for Damon. He just didn't want his brother sampling the guy he liked when he'd never had a taste.

"Let Elena do it." Damon shrugged and Alaric blinked in surprise.

"You know the ring doesn't work for her." Ric said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. He can get a random then. He doesn't want everyone knowing that he's not Mr Puppy-Hunter anymore anyway." Damon smirked. "I'll get blamed for it of course, when everyone inevitably finds out."

"You're right though, it's better he learns control." Alaric nodded. He really wanted to talk to Damon about the elephant in the room but wasn't sure how to bring it up or how Damon would react to what he wanted to say.

"Spit it out, Ric." Damon drawled with a roll of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Ric asked.

"You didn't call me over here to talk about whiskey and Stefan." Damon said quietly, bracing himself for rejection. Ric seemed to think about it for a minute.

"True. I wanted to talk about last night." Ric said and Damon winced.

"Any chance you'd let me compel you to forget that?" Damon asked sceptically and Ric smiled.

"I don't want to forget that." Ric said honestly and Damon looked confused. "I like you back." Ric blurted and Damon's eyes widened. He never expected it to be reciprocated, so he hadn't planned for the conversation to go this way. Ric watched the array of emotions that were showcased on Damon's face. "I did tell you that last night, though." Ric said. From his day of thinking about Damon, Ric knew without a doubt that he did in fact have feelings for the vampire. But he already knew that deep down on some level the night before. That's why he called him over.

"You want me to be honest?" Damon asked.

"Of course." Ric nodded.

"I didn't plan my reaction for that response. I have reactions planned for 'sorry, I don't see you that way, let's just be friends' and 'you disgust me, go away', so I really don't know what to say to that." Damon replied and Ric chuckled.

"First of all, I would never say you disgusted me and you should know me well enough to know that. Second, what do you want?" Ric asked softly and Damon looked confused.

"I don't follow." Damon said.

"As in, with me. What do you want?" Ric asked and understanding washed over Damon.

"Again, I didn't plan for that reaction so I haven't really thought it through." Damon scratched the back of his neck.

"You can have some time to think about it, if you want." Ric said honestly.

"How are you so okay with this?" Damon asked sceptically and Ric smiled.

"I came from a really liberal family." Ric laughed and Damon smirked. He would ask about that later.

"I'll think about it and get back to you." Damon replied and Ric nodded. "What do you want?"

"Spend some time together, see what happens and go from there." Ric shrugged and Damon got that sarcastic evil glint in his eye that had been missing from their whole interaction then he laughed.

"You want to... date?" Damon asked in disbelief and Ric laughed.

"With you and me, it would hardly be flowers and dancing, Damon." Ric sniggered. "We can do what we like." He shrugged and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"So you want to go out, hunt vampires and drink then call it a date?" Damon smirked.

"Something like that." Ric nodded with a smirk of his own.

"So basically what we already do..." Damon said then wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "But with a physical aspect?" He asked and Ric rolled his eyes.

"I'll make sure to wear my blue shirt for you." Ric teased and Damon deadpanned.

"You're mocking me." Damon said in disbelief.

"Yeah, but you mocked me first." Ric pointed out and Damon smiled.

"Fine, I'll go on this weird date with you." Damon nodded. "Do you want to tell people about this?" He said motioning between them.

"Not at first. We should see how it goes before you break the hearts of women everywhere." Ric winked and Damon laughed heartily.

"I should probably dump Andie then." Damon smirked.

"You still haven't?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"I've kind of been busy dying of a wolf bite and avoiding you." Damon said with a chuckle and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Fair enough." Ric nodded.

"So, when is this weird date thing?" Damon smirked.

"Whenever you want." Ric shrugged.

"Well, Stefan needs surveillance for the next few days, so why don't you come over to the boarding house tomorrow night?" Damon asked. "I might even cook for you." He smirked.

"You can cook?" Ric asked surprised.

"You would be surprised at the things I can do." Damon said and Ric laughed. He made everything sound sexual.

"Alright." Ric nodded. He was actually going to be on a date with Damon Salvatore and he laughed out loud.

"What?" Damon asked cocking an eyebrow.

"The whole thing is just funny. I moved to Mystic Falls to hunt you down, you killed me, we team up and become friends now we're having a date. It's just surreal." He laughed and Damon smirked.

"Can we not call it a date? It seems like a bit of a chick thing." Damon said and Ric smirked.

"Okay. It's not dating, it's..." Ric started but couldn't think of another term.

"Seeing each other?" Damon asked sceptically and Ric laughed.

"Why don't we just not label it and just be us." Ric smirked and Damon nodded. He liked that.

"Well, this has been... memorable." Damon chuckled. "But I need to go back to make sure baby bro doesn't massacre the town." He said finishing his drink. "Wait, did I hear you say earlier that you were packing?" Damon asked curiously.

"Yeah, I'm going to be staying at the Gilbert's." Ric replied and Damon nodded.

"So are you giving up this place?" Damon asked. He quite liked the apartment. It was very Ric... and he could hardly go home with Ric for a 'night cap' with Elena and Jeremy in the house.

"No, they might have some family member that will take over and honestly, I'll still need my own place away from everything." Ric said and Damon nodded. "I'm just taking some clothes and weapons." He replied.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow then." Damon said with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"What time?" Ric asked as he walked Damon to the door.

"Uh... 8pm?" Damon asked casually.

"Sure." Ric nodded and Damon was about to walk out of the door when he spun around quickly.

"Can I kiss you now?" Damon asked and Ric blinked in surprise.

"I didn't really see you as someone who asks for permission." Ric said and Damon smirked. Ric was suddenly nervous but he knew why Damon was doing it. The tension between them had been thick and it was a little awkward. Damon moved close to him and Ric noticed he looked a bit nervous himself. He slowly let his hand cup Ric's cheek and he gently pulled him towards him. Their eyes were locked on each other as Damon leaned up slightly since Ric was taller than him. When their lips were only an inch apart they closed their eyes. Damon closed the distance and brushed his lips against Ric's. Seconds later they deepened the kiss a little allowing their tongues to touch in the silkiest of ways. Damon felt the sparks between them and his stomach did the fluttery thing again only this time, he didn't mind. He pulled away just as gently as he'd started it and looked Ric in the eyes then smirked.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said softly and Ric smiled lightly. He'd felt it too.

"See you then." Ric nodded and Damon walked out the door. Ric was about to close it when he thought of something. "Damon?" He called in a low voice and Damon turned around. He was down the hall already and was looking at Ric curiously. "Just so you know... if you'd wanted to, you could have compelled me. I'm not wearing vervain." Ric said and Damon's jaw dropped at the magnitude of what Ric had just said. Ric smiled at him and closed the door. Ric had basically just admitted that he trusted Damon completely and Damon was shocked. He was glad now that he hadn't compelled Ric, because the sparks during that kiss were sizzling. He could only imagine how hot it would be if they'd gone further and truthfully, he was looking forward to their date. Even if they weren't calling it that.

* * *

><p>Damon walked into the boarding house with a grin plastered on his face. He couldn't really help it. He hadn't been gone that long, maybe just shy of an hour but Stefan was still lounging on the couch watching a movie they'd started before he left.<p>

"Hey." Stefan smiled and Damon took off his jacket and tossed it on a chair. He got a bottle of whiskey that was half full and two glasses then sat down next to Stefan on the couch, handing him a glass after he'd poured it.

"How you feeling?" Damon asked casually. He was bursting to tell Stefan about Ric but he'd never admit that.

"Good, actually." Stefan smiled. "Any time I've felt the need to get more blood, I've just thought of something else, something that makes me happy." Stefan explained.

"So you didn't slip?" Damon asked.

"No, I was waiting for you to get back so you could make sure I don't screw up." Stefan replied and Damon smiled. He liked that his little brother was relying on him so much. "But first, you look happy. Want to tell me why?" Stefan smirked.

"I have a date." Damon shrugged, playing it cool and Stefan laughed.

"He likes you back, doesn't he?" Stefan asked. Of course he could get a straight guy to like him, Stefan thought.

"Mmhmm." Damon smirked. "But nobody is to find out yet." Damon warned.

"I won't say anything." Stefan promised. "When is it?"

"Tomorrow night. It's here, so I can still keep an eye on you." Damon replied. "But I'll need you to make yourself scarce." Damon smirked and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll stay in your room while he's here." Stefan shrugged and Damon looked confused.

"Why my room?" Damon asked.

"Well, your room is the farthest room from here and you have that big ass TV." Stefan grinned.

"Fine." Damon huffed. "I'm going to ask you something and if you ever mock me for it I swear to god I will stake your sorry ass." Damon said and Stefan nodded. "What do I do on a date with a guy?" Damon asked. Stefan would normally have found it funny if Damon didn't look so panicked about it.

"Well, he's human, so either order in or make dinner then have a drink or watch a movie or something. It's a first date; it doesn't have to be spectacular." Stefan shrugged.

"I'm going to make dinner." Damon nodded. "It's just afterwards..."

"Well what would you do with a girl?" Stefan asked and Damon smirked. "Besides that."

"Girls are easy to date, Stefan." Damon said casually.

"Don't worry, so much. It's only Alaric. You've spent a lot of time with him already. You don't have to be nervous." Stefan said.

"Easy for you to say." Damon grumbled.

"So are you two like together now?" Stefan asked curiously and Damon rolled his eyes.

"No, Stefan. It's one date-like evening and it hasn't even happened yet." Damon said.

"Think it'll be weird to kiss him?" He asked and Damon smirked.

"Nope." He replied with a grin and Stefan laughed.

"You kissed him already, didn't you?" Stefan asked surprised.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded. "Now, go get some blood." He ordered. He really didn't want to sit and gossip with his brother.

* * *

><p>Stefan and Damon spent the rest of the night watching movies and working on Stefan's cravings. Each sip got a little easier for Stefan but he still had a long way to go. They both enjoyed just hanging out with each other. They hadn't done it in a long time, aside from when they went to the falls so Damon could tell Stefan about Alaric. The morning of the date, Damon woke up excited but nervous and went downstairs to heat up some blood. He upped his intake so that he would be strong enough to take down Stefan should the need arise. Stefan was technically about an hour older than him in vampire terms but his many years of feeding on animal blood made him no match for Damon. Damon still figured he should be as strong as possible, just in case. While Damon was pouring out the blood for himself he heard a car coming and he heard Stefan getting up so he poured Stefan a glass too then went to the door and waited for the knock. He opened the door just a few inches and Elena stood there.<p>

"Damon! Are you okay?" She asked trying to push the door open but Damon held it still. "Why won't you let me in?" She asked confused.

"It's not safe for you here, right now." Damon said to her quietly.

"Stefan!" She yelled and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Don't you get it, Elena? You smell like food." He said to her and allowed his face to change and her eyes widened. "I'm not in control right now, you need to go. Stefan will see you once I'm better." Damon said.

"You can get through it, Damon. I'm really happy you didn't die." She smiled at him. "Get better soon." She said sweetly then walked back to the car. Damon allowed his face to change back and he locked the door again and smirked. He was quite the little actor. He turned around to see Stefan standing there.

"Why did you tell her it was you?" He asked confused.

"Because, if she knew it was you, she would never leave you alone and you don't need any distractions or temptations. She knows that I'm volatile and it's kind of a perfect excuse for you to have to stay here for a few days to make sure I won't kill anyone." Damon shrugged then walked into the kitchen and Stefan followed.

"Thank you." Stefan said sincerely.

"It's the least I can do, baby bro. You're in this mess because of me." Damon shrugged. "Hold on, I think I should probably call Ric and tell him to pass it along that no visitors should come here." Damon said as he got his phone out.

"You just want an excuse to call." Stefan chuckled and Damon glared at him.

"No, I told Ric what really happened so he needs to know the story we're telling people." Damon said and Stefan looked surprised. Damon dialled his number and waited for him to answer.

"_Hey, Damon._" Ric answered.

"Elena just dropped by and Stefan can't see her so I told her I'm out of control as a result of the werewolf bite. Can you stick to that for me?" Damon asked.

"_Sure, I told you I wouldn't say anything about it._" Ric said.

"I know... I just figured you should know the story." Damon said.

"_Oh, okay. I'll tell Elena to give the boarding house a wide berth then until he's better._" He replied.

"Glad to hear it." Damon nodded.

"_You want me to bring the rest of that bottle we started over tonight?_" Ric asked.

"No, its fine. I have plenty here." Damon replied.

"_Well, is there anything you want brought over?_" Ric asked and Damon had to hold back a lewd comment since his brother was in the same room trying to stop himself laughing.

"No, no. I'll get everything in today." Damon said.

"_Oh, that reminds me, Sheriff Forbes called me._" Ric said alerting Damon.

"For what?" Damon asked.

"_She says she wants to talk to me. I'm guessing it's about you._" He replied.

"What did you say?"

"_I said I'd meet her if she was alone._" Ric said.

"When's this happening?" Damon asked.

"_In an hour._"

"Where?"

"_I promised her I would meet her alone._" Ric said and Damon thought about it.

"Call me as soon as you've spoken to her." Damon said.

"_You know I will._" Ric said in a playful tone and Damon smirked.

"Are you flirting with me Mr Saltzman?" Damon asked in mock horror and Ric laughed.

"_I think we're a little past that now, aren't we?_" Ric replied and Stefan laughed out loud. Damon had forgotten for a second that Stefan was there and he glared at him.

"I'll talk to you later. My little eavesdropping brother finds us funny." Damon said wryly.

"_Well, that's embarrassing._" Ric said and Damon smirked.

"Don't be embarrassed. I'll tell you stories about Stefan that'll give you something to hold over his head." Damon smirked and Stefan's eyes widened.

"_Alright. I'll call you when I'm done with Sheriff Forbes._" He said.

"You do that." Damon replied and hung up.

"You've got it bad." Stefan pointed out and Damon lunged at him only causing Stefan to run away laughing. Damon caught him eventually and just to prove a point he gave him a wedgie before ducking out of the house to follow Ric.

* * *

><p>Damon watched as Alaric got into his car and drove towards the woods. He followed easily in the shadows for about ten minutes until Ric parked his car at the side of the road. He got out and walked into the woods until he came to the clearing near Wickery Bridge where the Sheriff stood waiting.<p>

"Sheriff Forbes." Alaric acknowledged her.

"Mr Saltzman." She nodded in return.

"What did you want to talk about?" He asked.

"I think you know what I want to talk about." She said and Alaric stayed stoic. "Damon." She said.

"What about him?" Alaric narrowed his eyes.

"Has he got you under compulsion or something? Is that why you're loyal to him?" She asked curiously and Alaric actually laughed out loud.

"Sheriff, I'm a hunter. You don't think I know about vervain?" He asked her.

"A vampire hunter." She said in surprise.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"Then how can you side with him?" Liz asked curiously. She didn't sound like she was accusing him, more like she really just wanted to know.

"Damon is a good man." Alaric said softly. "Sure, he's done plenty of things in the past that I don't agree with, but if you had any idea of his past, you would probably understand. You don't know all the things he's done for this town." He said seriously and the Sheriff was surprised.

"You almost sound like you like him." She said dumfounded and Alaric chuckled.

"I do. He's my best friend." Alaric replied. He was hardly going to get into their newfound feelings for each other. Damon listened and was warmed by Alaric's kind words about him. He almost felt bad for listening to the conversation.

"How am I supposed to accept this? The founder's council records have told us that they all have to be killed." She replied.

"To accept it, you need to first understand how a vampire works." Alaric said and Damon was quite interested in just what he would say. "At first when they turn, they have no real control over themselves. It's pure instinct. Then once they get control over that, many can't deal with the things they have done and they switch their emotions off. If they do that for long enough, it becomes very difficult for them to turn them back on. With no emotion, there is no sense of right or wrong, guilt, pain... They can't really be blamed for their actions in that state. It would be like blaming a lion for hunting a gazelle... It's their nature. But, with their emotions switched on, they are basically just people... fair enough, they need blood to survive and they are faster and stronger, but they behave just like humans most of the time." Ric explained and Damon was surprised at just how well he said all of it. He was impressed.

"So you're trying to say that Damon has his emotions switched on?" She asked for confirmation and Ric smirked.

"He likes people to think that he doesn't, but he does." Ric nodded. "And Stefan and Caroline are also just trying to live their lives peacefully." He said and Liz gulped at him bringing up Caroline.

"But what if he switches them off again? Won't we have to worry about that?" She says.

"He won't." Alaric said. "He has family and friends here. Before, he was always alone." Ric said. "But Sheriff, as much as I like living in this town, I'll stand with Damon if you go after him." He said and she looked shocked. Damon was surprised that Alaric would say that to the Sheriff but he was grinning like an idiot too.

"Why?" She asked in disbelief.

"Because, he doesn't deserve to be hunted down when he's been trying to help you all along." Ric said with conviction. "Have you got any idea how many vampires and werewolves he's taken out to protect this town?"

"Well, I've seen a few of them." She nodded. "What am I supposed to do about Caroline?"

"She's your daughter." Alaric said confused. "Just because she has a different diet now doesn't mean that she isn't the same person that she always was." Alaric shrugged. "Although, from seeing her in school and in supernatural action, I think she's grown up really well. She's more confident now, she's happy for the most part and she's just a genuinely nice girl." Ric said.

"So I don't have to worry about her?" The Sheriff asked.

"You're a mother. You'll always worry about her. But you don't have to worry that she'll hurt anyone." Alaric said.

"And what about Damon? I don't even know how to act around him." She sighed.

"Why don't you just call him and talk to him?" Ric suggested.

"No need." Damon smirked as he entered the clearing and the Sheriff pulled her gun out automatically. "Oh, c'mon." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" Ric asked confused.

"I was on my way into town to go to the grocery store when I heard Liz say my name. So I came to investigate." He shrugged. Alaric knew he was lying. "Are you going to put the gun down?" Damon asked her but she didn't reply so he sped forward in less than a second so he was standing right in front of her and the gun was resting on his chest. "Go ahead, Liz." He said annoyed. "Look me in the eye and shoot me." Damon said to her.

"Damon." Alaric rolled his eyes. "Stop being a dick." He said and Damon turned his head to smirk at him then turned his back to Liz and walked over to Alaric and put his arm over Ric's shoulder in a playful way and Ric just laughed.

"Do you see that?" Damon whined pointing at Liz. "She still has the gun pointed at me. She could miss and shoot you." Damon said annoyed. "I've heard it wouldn't be the first time." Damon said.

"Damon." Ric looked at him and frowned. "He's fine, why are you bringing that up?" He said in a low voice but Liz was close enough that she could hear.

"I'm bringing it up because never once have I tried to hurt her, yet I'm an evil monster." Damon rolled his eyes and took his arm back then walked over to lounge against a tree. "Even out of my mind with the wolf bite, I didn't hurt her." Damon said.

"He has a point. He wouldn't hurt you." Ric said sincerely to Liz.

"Fine, if you won't even talk to me, I'll just go. You can hunt your own god damn vampires from now on." Damon muttered and started to walk away.

"Wait." She said reluctantly.

"Why? Because I said I wouldn't hunt for you?" He asked raising an eyebrow. "Or are you going to finally admit that we're actually friends and have been all along?" He asked. Liz sighed then holstered the gun.

"We were friends, Damon. But you lied to me." Liz said.

"What was I supposed to do? Take you out for coffee and say 'Oh, by the way Liz, you know how you've hated vampires your whole life? Guess what? I'm a vampire, isn't that great?'" He asked sarcastically.

"Damon, you're not helping." Alaric chastised. Damon sighed and walked up to Liz and stood in front of her. She was trying not to show fear but he could hear her heart beating faster and it hurt him. He reached forward and took her hand.

"It actually makes me sad that you're afraid of me." Damon said softly. "I can hear your heart pounding." He said as he squeezed her hand lightly. "Liz, I'm not going to hurt you." He said sincerely. "That, I can promise you."

"I believe you." She said to him. She didn't know why, but she could see it in his eyes... He didn't want to hurt her. He gave her a genuine smile and did something nobody expected. He hugged her. It took her a second but she eventually hugged him back. Alaric smiled at the sight. Damon had come such a long way from the bloodthirsty killer he once was. Damon let go of her then took a step back.

"Anyway, I need to go to the grocery story." Damon smirked and Liz laughed.

"For what?" She asked.

"I still like to eat human food." Damon shrugged with a grin and she looked surprised.

"I can't cook to save myself." She sniggered.

"Well, I'll invite you over for dinner sometime and you'll see my awesome culinary skills." He winked then turned to Ric. "See you later." Damon nodded then he was gone.

"I'm never going to get used to that disappearing thing." She said awkwardly.

"It's not the disappearing that's the problem. It's when he appears behind you or in front of just to scare the daylights out of you." Ric laughed. "Do you feel any better about all of this now?" Ric asked seriously.

"I do." She nodded. "It's still a lot to process but I can't ignore what he's done for this town." She said softly. "And, my daughter is one of them. I'm just going to have to accept it." Liz said.


	5. Totally a Date

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 5

* * *

><p>Damon went to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients he would need to make dinner. He'd decided to go with an Italian theme for the evening. He bought some honey melon and Parma ham that they could pick at while he cooked as well as a range of different cheeses. He kind of wanted to show off his mad skills in the kitchen so was purposely going to wait to start cooking until just before 8pm. He was going to make bruschetta for a starter so he bought tomatoes, garlic, mozzarella and ingredients for making bread. For the main course he would make lombata di bue barbaresco so he bought sirloin steaks, a fine red wine for the sauce along with shallots and mushrooms and a separate drinking wine. He didn't have time to make tiramisu since it had to be soaked in coffee for a while to flavour it, so he decided on profiteroles filled with Grand Marnier cream and chocolate sauce so he bought a bottle of Grand Marnier, some thick cream and sugar as well as ingredients for choux pastry. Cooking was a secret love for Damon and he didn't often get to share that with someone, so he knew he was going a little overboard. Sure he cooked for himself regularly but he usually didn't put that much effort into just food for himself. He bought some decorative food toothpicks that he could spear the melon and cheese with. He'd made a little check list for himself and once he figured he had everything he needed, he paid and left the store then sped home.<p>

He walked into the kitchen and put away the groceries. It was mid afternoon so he decided to make the bread for the bruschetta and get the dessert ready. He spent a short while making the profiteroles and filling them with the Grand Marnier cream he'd whipped while the bread baked in the oven. Stefan seemed to follow his nose into the kitchen and his mouth watered at the sight of the profiteroles. They were cooling as they were just out of the oven, while Damon prepared the sirloin steaks and set them in a marinade to soak for a few hours.

"Those smell incredible." Stefan said pointing to the profiteroles.

"Hands off." Damon warned. "Don't worry; I made enough so that you can eat what I'm making too. You'll just have to take your plate upstairs." Damon smirked.

"What are you making for dinner?" Stefan asked with a grin. He always loved it when Damon got the cooking bug since he was such a good cook.

"Melon and Parma, bruschetta and lombata di bue barbaresco." Damon shrugged and Stefan couldn't wait.

"That sounds amazing." Stefan nodded with a grin. "What filling do they have?" He asked pointing at the profiteroles.

"Grand Marnier cream." Damon said and Stefan licked his lips.

"Can I just try one? Please?" Stefan pleaded and Damon laughed. It was just like when they were kids.

"One." Damon said. "I'll know if you swipe any more than that." Damon warned. "I counted them this time." He smirked.

"Are you making chocolate sauce?" Stefan asked and Damon nodded.

"But I'm not making it until later, so if you want to try one, it'll just be with the cream." He shrugged.

"Oh, I still want to try it." Stefan grinned and took one profiterole from where they were cooling. He bit into it and groaned in pleasure. Damon smirked happily. He loved that reaction to his food. "Damon, these are unbelievable." He grinned.

"I know." Damon smiled back but Stefan could tell that Damon was happy he liked it.

"Can you cook more often?" Stefan asked as he finished his profiterole and Damon chuckled.

"I'll think about it." Damon smirked but Stefan knew that was a yes. He was the only person who knew how much Damon loved to cook.

"There are so many options." Stefan said thinking about it and Damon watched amused. "Raspberry tiramisu, panna cotta, your lemon and strawberry gelato is really good too... hmm..." Stefan said as he thought about it and Damon laughed.

"I'm not your personal chef." Damon pointed out with a smirk.

"I know that, but you love making it and I love eating it. It's win-win." Stefan pointed out and Damon laughed heartily.

"I think you used that same line when we were human." Damon smirked. "Have you seen that episode of True Blood with the blood food?" Damon asked curiously and Stefan grinned.

"Blood gelato!" Stefan exclaimed and Damon laughed.

"I was thinking about trying to make that sometime." Damon smirked.

"That would be genius... but don't tell anyone about that. That might freak them out a bit." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Obviously. I just meant for you and me to try." Damon said. "And, maybe Barbie, if she's a good little vampire." He smirked.

"That's nearly seven." Stefan said looking at his phone. "Aren't you going to go shower and change?" He asked with a little grin and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I just need to do the melon then I'll go." Damon replied not taking the bait. "You're really enjoying mocking me, aren't you?" He asked as he took out the melon and a knife and started to cut the melon into little squares.

"Just a little bit." Stefan smirked. "Mostly, it's just nice to see you making an effort for someone you like." He replied.

"Yeah, yeah." Damon waved away his comment. Once he was finished cutting the melon, he cut the ham into strips and wrapped the ham around the melon then speared each bit with a little toothpick that had a little pirate flag on it. He thought it would be funny.

Once he was finished he went up to his room and had a nice long shower. He dressed in black jeans and boots and a black button up shirt. He put a little bit of gel in his hair to straighten out his curly locks then went back downstairs to the kitchen. He chopped the tomatoes finely as well as the garlic and added a couple of drops of olive oil to them and set them by the stove, ready to fry when Alaric arrived. He'd prepared everything already so he could just start throwing the ingredients together once his special guest was there. He put out the wrapped melon on the counter and added a few squares of cheese with the pirate toothpicks in the little spaces on the serving plate so that it would look full. He got out the red wine and took the cork out of both bottles to allow them a little while to breathe then he set the dining room table with two places across from each other. He wasn't sure what Alaric would want to drink with the meal but he put one bottle of red wine on the side table along with a nice bottle of bourbon and a couple of beers just in case. He left the lights on in the dining room because he refused to have a candle lit dinner. He wasn't Stefan.

In the midst of him deciding which glasses to put on the table there was a knock at the door. He'd been so preoccupied with his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the car pull up. He walked to the door and opened it to reveal Alaric... wearing the blue shirt. Damon smirked.

"Don't you look... delectable." Damon raised an eyebrow and Alaric grinned.

"You said you liked it." He shrugged then Damon moved forward to peck him on the lips. He kissed him then ushered him inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He did _not_ want to be interrupted. "Something smells great." Ric smiled as he entered the kitchen.

"Since Stefan and I were born in Italy, I figured I would let you try some of our favourites." Damon said then gestured to the serving plate that was out. "To pick at while I cook." He smirked and Alaric picked one up and tried it.

"That's really good." He agreed.

"Most Italian dinners start with that." Damon grinned then turned to dump the chopped tomatoes and garlic into a preheated pan to fry lightly. While that was frying, he uncovered the cooled bread and cut a few thick slices of it and put it onto plates then buttered them lightly. "Bruschetta to start." Damon grinned then scooped some of the fried tomatoes onto the bread with a spoon and handed the plate to Ric. He quickly tried a bit and groaned in satisfaction.

"I've had bruschetta before, but it wasn't this good." He said and Damon grinned happily and tried his own while getting the sirloins still in the marinade out of the fridge. He put them in the pan then added some red wine, the chopped shallots and mushrooms and started to cook them then went back to his bruschetta. While the meat cooked he sliced another couple of bits of bread and spooned more of the tomato mixture onto it then put in on another plate, leaving it on the other side of the counter. "Stefan?" Alaric asked pointing to the plate and Damon smirked.

"I'll never hear the end of it if he doesn't get some." Damon rolled his eyes. "What do you want to drink?" Damon asked. "There's wine, whiskey, beer, juice, soda..." Damon trailed off.

"Is it red or white wine?" Ric asked.

"Red." Damon replied as he took another bite of his bruschetta.

"I'll have some wine then, please." Ric nodded.

"Sure." Damon said and got two wine glasses and poured some of the already opened red into each.

"Did you make this bread?" Ric asked in awe and Damon grinned.

"They don't sell that kind of bread, used for bruschetta, here." Damon shrugged.

"You weren't kidding when you said you could cook." Ric grinned. "There's got to be a joke in there somewhere about the vampire cooking and eating garlic." He chuckled and Damon smirked.

"I'd be screwed if I couldn't eat garlic." Damon chuckled. "The Italians put garlic in everything. How do you want your steak cooked?" Damon asked as he returned to the stove.

"Well done." Ric replied and Damon grinned over his shoulder.

"Glad to hear it." Damon replied.

"I'm surprised you like it well done though." Ric said.

"Cow blood?" Damon shuddered. "No thanks." He said and Ric laughed.

"Fair enough. How's Stefan doing?" He asked.

"He's fine. Still a little jittery but that's to be expected. He's taken over my room." Damon rolled his eyes and Ric chuckled.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"He's watching some sports game on my TV." Damon chuckled. "Can you believe he doesn't have a TV in his room? The TV down here doesn't even have cable." He chuckled.

"So he's in your room watching cable?" Alaric laughed.

"Yep." Damon grinned. "I have no idea what he does all day in this boring old house."

"You don't like the boarding house?" Ric asked surprised.

"It's fine for visiting, but if I'd known I was going to stay here so long I would have bought something else." Damon replied.

"Think you still might?" Ric asked curiously. He'd never heard Damon talking about anything like this.

"For a while I was thinking about just leaving, actually. I was going to leave after everything with Klaus was done." He said as he served the steaks onto plates. He opened the oven and took out the potatoes he was roasting.

"What changed your mind?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked at him over his shoulder as he served the potatoes.

"Oh, I think you know the answer to that one, Teach." Damon quipped then went over to the fridge to take out the small salad he'd made. "You want salad?" Damon asked as he brought it over to the plates.

"That'd be great." Ric nodded and Damon served the three plates with some salad. Once he was done he took one over and put it next to Stefan's other plate then put down a knife, fork and a napkin. He walked over to the other two plates and motioned for Ric to follow him then set the plates down on the table. Ric sat down at one place as Damon went back into the kitchen.

"Stefan! Dinner!" Damon yelled then picked up the bottle of wine and went back through to the dining room, taking a seat across from Ric. Stefan poked his head into the dining room.

"Hey, Alaric." Stefan smiled.

"Hi, Stefan. How you doing?" Ric asked a little awkwardly.

"I'm fine, thanks. Really looking forward to dinner." He grinned.

"Me too." Ric nodded

"Well, have a good night." Stefan waved then left. Ten seconds later he poked his head in again. "Damon?" Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I'll leave dessert out for you, now buzz off." Damon said and Stefan disappeared while Ric laughed.

"What's for dessert?" Ric asked.

"You'll just have to wait and see." Damon smirked. "Buon appetito." Damon smiled.

"This looks great." Ric grinned then tried the food as did Damon. "This has to be the best sirloin I've ever had." Ric nodded and Damon smiled widely.

"Good, I'm glad." Damon replied. "Why did you tell me yesterday that you weren't wearing vervain?" Damon asked and Ric shrugged.

"I just wanted you to know that I trust you." He replied. "I'm not wearing any now either." He said and Damon sighed.

"Ric, you can't walk about this town with no vervain on you." Damon said. "I'll be right back." Damon said then sped out of the room. He reappeared a couple of minutes later and retook his seat. "Here." He said softly and handed Ric a small box. Ric opened it and inside was a small silver lapel pin with an old style design. In the middle was a round clear stone of some kind.

"What's this for?" Ric asked startled.

"The stone is hollow and filled with liquid vervain." Damon said. "No vampire would ever think that would stop compulsion." Damon explained. "You should wear it." Damon said. Ric was taken aback by the kind gesture but promptly fastened it to his shirt pocket.

"Thank you." Ric said.

"It's nothing." Damon shrugged.

"So you said you had an embarrassing story I could hear to hold over Stefan's head." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled.

"I have thousands." Damon replied. "Let's see..." He said as he thought about it then burst out laughing. "When Stefan was 10 years old our father gave him a horse for his birthday. He got a chestnut mare and he called her Sapphire because he'd asked for a blue horse. Now you have to remember, Stefan was a horribly spoiled child." Damon chuckled. "He kept bugging my father about getting a different horse because he wanted a blue one and my father kept telling him to stop being stupid and horses couldn't be blue but Stefan was determined to prove him wrong so he saved up his allowance and bought blue wood paint and painted the horse." Damon laughed as did Alaric.

"What did your father do?" Ric asked with a chuckle and Damon rolled his eyes.

"He belted me for putting ideas in Stefan's head." Damon shrugged and Ric looked shocked.

"But Stefan was the one who painted the horse..." Ric said.

"Yeah, but I was the older brother so it was my responsibility to make sure Stefan didn't do stupid things like that." Damon replied. "I also had to scrub the horse until there was no blue left on her." Damon laughed and noticed Ric's expression. "Times were different then, Ric. It was run of the mill to beat your kids if they didn't do what you said. It's probably where I get my violence from." Damon smirked.

"I sometimes forget how old you really are." Ric replied.

"I'll tell you stories sometime about it. I know the history geek in you would love that." Damon quipped and Ric grinned.

"You know it." He nodded. They were finished dinner some minutes later and Damon cleared the dishes and took them into the kitchen and Ric followed him in and retook his previous seat at the counter. "That was really amazing." He said.

"Dessert's the best part." Damon cocked an eyebrow suggestively. He couldn't believe how normal the evening was... and that he was enjoying it so much.

"I hate to say it, Damon." Ric chuckled. "But this is as date-like as it gets." Damon laughed.

"I was just thinking the same thing." Damon nodded. "But you didn't bring me flowers so we can still pretend it's not." Damon chuckled then started to melt chocolate and a little cream and butter into a clean pan, swirling it every now and again. "I am a bit stumped as to what to do after dinner though." Damon said with a smirk.

"What about drinks and a DVD?" Rick shrugged and Damon wanted to laugh. It seemed that both of them were as awkward as each other about it all.

"As long as it's not some sappy romantic crap." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"Deal." He smiled. Once the chocolate sauce was done, Damon took out the profiteroles from the fridge and served them, adding some of the sauce to the top. "God, that looks good." Ric said as Damon handed him the plate then Stefan appeared and Damon glared at him. He handed Stefan the dessert plate.

"The dinner was amazing as always." Stefan grinned and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I swear to God Stefan, I'll lock you in that cell if you don't go away." Damon warned.

"I'm going." Stefan mumbled and shot out of the room and Ric laughed.

"It's weird to see him actually do what you say, for once." Ric pointed out and Damon smirked.

"It's only because he knows I'm not kidding." Damon replied and Ric chuckled then took a bite out of a profiterole and groaned. Damon couldn't help feeling hugely turned on by the noise and had to concentrate on thinking about something else so that it wouldn't show.

"What's the filling?" Ric asked amazed.

"Grand Marnier cream." Damon replied as he tried a bit himself. It was amazing, even if he thought so himself.

"You've spoiled me for other food now, you know." Ric pointed out and Damon laughed.

"Who knows? Maybe I'll cook for you again one day." Damon smirked.

"That'd be great." Ric nodded with a smile.

"You can make requests next time then." Damon shrugged. "What movie do you want to watch?" He asked.

"No idea. I haven't seen one in months." Ric laughed. "So whatever's fine with me." He shrugged.

"Well what do you feel like? Action, horror, comedy?" He asked.

"What's your favourite film?" Ric asked and Damon looked a little embarrassed.

"You're going to laugh. Everybody does." Damon smirked. "Interview with a Vampire." He replied and Ric grinned.

"I like that too. Want to watch that?" Ric asked.

"If you want to go get settled at the TV, I'll get the movie." Damon suggested and Ric nodded. Damon flashed up to his room to find Stefan sitting on his bed eating the dessert watching football. "Couldn't you have eaten that at the table?" Damon complained as he went over to his DVD collection.

"How's it going?" Stefan asked ignoring Damon's complaints.

"It would be better if you stopped interrupting." Damon said sarcastically as he grabbed the DVD. "How are you doing for blood?" Damon asked.

"I'm okay right now." Stefan nodded.

"Good. If you need any just shout for me. Don't come down." Damon warned and Stefan nodded as he continued watching the game. Damon made his way back down the stairs to see Ric had taken in both their plates and glasses of wine and was sitting on the couch facing the TV. He walked over and switched the TV on then put the DVD in the player. He sat down next to Ric and the two of them started to watch the movie. They finished their desserts and Damon took the plates into the kitchen and returned with whiskey and two crystal tumblers. He poured out two glasses and handed one to Ric.

"Thanks." Ric smiled. They were sitting with only inches between them but neither took the first step to be affectionate and they both knew it. They kept shooting sideways glances at each other until they ended up laughing.

"This is ridiculous." Damon commented between chuckles.

"Have you ever had a relationship with a guy before?" Ric asked curiously as he laughed.

"No, have you?" Damon asked.

"No." Ric shook his head.

"This could be why neither of us has a clue." Damon smirked.

"You know that way if it was a girl you were on a date with, you wouldn't even think about like holding her hand or putting your arm around her, it just kind of happens?" Ric asked and Damon nodded with a laugh.

"But with us it's different." Damon smirked.

"Do you even do affectionate?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shrugged.

"I'm not a total unfeeling prick." Damon replied which was most likely Damon-speak for yes. "Do you?" He asked.

"It can be nice." Alaric replied trying to contain his laughter. "But this is silly. I like you and you like me... we should just get over it." He laughed and Damon nodded then leaned forward and kissed him. Alaric opened his mouth slightly allowing Damon to deepen the kiss and their tongues graced across each other's softly. It wasn't the usual type of kiss Damon participated in, but then he usually didn't have feelings for the person he was kissing. He put his arm across Ric's back and pulled him a little closer and cupped his cheek with his other hand. They were both really getting into it when there was a knock at the door and Damon pulled away.

"I'm going to kill whoever's at the door." He groaned then stood up and went to the door. He unlocked it and opened it slightly, revealing Jeremy Gilbert.

"Hey, Damon, can we talk?" He asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I'm busy, what is it?" He asked.

"Can you let me in?" Jeremy asked.

"No." Damon shook his head. "Can't you come back tomorrow?" Damon complained and Jeremy cocked an eyebrow.

"Sure, you got company?" He asked.

"Yep, and you interrupted it. Come back tomorrow morning and I'll talk to you about whatever you want." Damon promised and Jeremy laughed.

"Sure. Have fun." Jeremy grinned.

"I will." Damon smirked then closed and locked the door. He walked back over to the couch and retook his seat stretching his arm on the back of the couch. "Ooh, this is the best part." He said pointing to the screen. They were at the part where Louis finds Claudia. Alaric scooted a little closer to him and leaned a little against him and Damon smirked. Ric was right... it was nice. So Damon moved his arm from the back of the couch to Ric's shoulders.

"Who was at the door?" Ric asked curiously.

"Jeremy." Damon shrugged. "It couldn't have been important because he left without a fight."

"I have to say, I'm surprised, I haven't seen you with blood all evening." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"I didn't think I'd get any action with blood breath." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"At least you're honest." He replied.

"Speaking of action..." Damon said cocking an eyebrow and Ric grinned at him then kissed him. It was the first time Ric initiated a kiss. They ended up making out like teenagers for the rest of the night since neither was ready to go any further with the other just yet. Just before one in the morning Ric decided to go home. He was moving his stuff over to the Gilbert's early the following morning.

"You could stay, if you want." Damon suggested and Ric smirked.

"You totally don't want me to leave." Ric smiled and Damon shrugged.

"Up to you." He said.

"Maybe next time." Ric smiled.

"I'll drive you home." Damon said then grabbed his jacket and put it on.

"You don't have to do that." Ric said.

"I'm not letting you drive home after drinking all that alcohol." Damon smirked.

"Okay, thanks." Ric smiled.

"Stefan!" Damon called and Stefan appeared seconds later. "I'm driving Ric home, you doing okay?" Damon asked.

"I'm fine." Stefan smiled. "Goodnight, Ric." He said then darted back upstairs. They walked out into the drive way and Ric handed Damon his keys. They got in the car and Damon pulled out onto the road. Ric was a little tipsy so the inhibitions were gone and he covered Damon's hand with his, which was resting on the gear shift. Damon turned to look at Ric surprised and smiled.

"I guess a little booze did the trick." Damon smirked and Ric rolled his eyes. After a few minutes of silence Ric turned to look at Damon.

"How do you think people will react?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"Think I care?" Damon asked and Ric smiled. He was hoping for that answer.

"So when's non-date number two?" Ric chuckled and Damon smirked.

"Whenever you want, Teach." Damon replied.

"Well I'm going to Charlottesville tomorrow, so what about the day after?" Ric asked.

"Why are you going to Charlottesville?" He asked.

"A museum exhibit." Ric shrugged and Damon smirked.

"Who are you going with?" Damon asked.

"Nobody." Ric said.

"You want company?" Damon asked raising an eyebrow and Ric grinned.

"Sure." Ric nodded. "I have to move my stuff over to the Gilbert's tomorrow morning. I was going to go after that." He said.

"I'll pick you up at 7.30am." Damon smirked.

"Why so early?" Ric asked.

"Then we have the whole day and we miss rush hour. I'll help you with moving your stuff." He shrugged.

"Great." Ric smiled.

"That way I can see what the hell mini-Gilbert wanted." Damon said. "What's the exhibit?"

"Don't laugh." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"I can't promise anything." Damon said.

"It's a dinosaur exhibit." He said and Damon's eyes widened.

"Excellent." He grinned and Alaric look surprised. "I love all of that stuff. I saw the big one a few years ago in London." Damon said.

"Cool." Ric smiled. He was really looking forward to his day in Charlottesville with Damon. Soon Damon pulled up at Ric's apartment building and they got out of the car. Damon walked around to where Ric stood and gave him his keys. "See you in the morning." Ric said.

"Mmhmm." Damon purred before kissing him again. "Goodnight, Teach." Damon winked then he was gone. Alaric grinned then walked up to his apartment.


	6. Day at the Museum

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 6

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><p>Damon sped back to the boarding house and got a blood bag for himself and one for Stefan. He went up to his room and Stefan was still watching the TV.<p>

"Blood time." Damon said as he walked in the room and Stefan looked up and started to tremble a little. "You shouldn't have gone so long without, Stef." Damon pointed out as he sat down next to him against the headboard.

"I know." Stefan nodded. "But with the food, I didn't really feel the cravings." Stefan said as he stared at the bags. Damon opened one.

"I just want you to take it, smell it and give it back to me." Damon said and Stefan looked a little worried. His face changed and Damon sighed. It would be a while before Stefan learned any real semblance of control. He did manage to do as Damon asked. "Good. Now change your face back then take a sip and give it back to me." Damon instructed and Stefan did although Damon could tell that Stefan was fighting with himself to just drink the whole bag. After a little while, Stefan had calmed down and was sipping normally like Damon was as he watched his movie.

"When you seeing Alaric again?" Stefan asked absently.

"Tomorrow." Damon said. "We're going to Charlottesville so I'm taking your ring." Damon said and Stefan nodded. He didn't want to be able to hurt anyone even if he'd been doing well so far. "I'll be back before dark. You going to be okay alone?" Damon asked. "Want me to call Barbie and get her to keep you company? I taught her this too, she could help you." Damon said.

"Sure, that would be great. I'll have to tell her the truth though." Stefan looked worried.

"I'll tell her if she repeats it to anyone, I'll tell her mother that she killed four of her deputies." Damon shrugged and Stefan shot him a look.

"That's harsh." Stefan said.

"We don't need Bonnie down your throat with all that extra power." Damon defended.

"True." Stefan nodded.

"Now, get out. I'm going to sleep." Damon said and Stefan sighed.

"Can I just finish watching this?" Stefan asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Fine, just don't make a lot of noise." Damon warned and got undressed then jumped under the covers.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up at 6am with Stefan's arm around him and he groaned.<p>

"Stefan!" Damon complained.

"Sorry." Stefan yawned and turned around to face the other way. "Must have fallen asleep." Stefan said before passing out again. Damon rolled his eyes and got up then took a shower. He got dressed, left a couple of blood bags in the fridge for Stefan then went over to Caroline's. He smirked at her leaving her window open and he jumped up into her room. She was fast asleep and he smiled lightly. He'd forgotten how beautiful she was when she slept. He went up to her and patted her arm lightly to waken her. Her eyes opened a little then she sat up like a shot.

"What's wrong?" She said and Damon chuckled.

"Nothing." Damon shrugged and sat down on her bed next to her. "I was wondering if you could do me a favour." He said and she looked surprised but intrigued.

"What's the favour?" She asked.

"I'm going to tell you something. If you tell anyone about this, I'll tell your mother you killed her deputies saving us." Damon warned.

"I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise." Caroline nodded.

"Especially not Bonnie or Elena. This is vampire business." Damon said and she nodded again. "Stefan was forced by Klaus to drain someone to get me the cure. I know, he shouldn't have bothered, but he's decided to stick with the human blood so he's jittery and unstable. Elena thinks it's me that's unstable since it would make sense after the wolf bite. I need to go out of town today for a few hours but I'll be back by dark. I was wondering if you would babysit Stef and make sure he drinks one blood bag every four hours or so, doing what I taught you to do. Do you remember?" He asked and she nodded.

"Sure, I can do that." She smiled lightly. "When should I go over?" She asked.

"I'm leaving the house at 7.15am so around then." Damon shrugged. "I'm taking Stefan's ring away too. He goes through stages where he's acting fine then he just snaps." Damon explained and Caroline nodded. "But most of all, if anyone comes to the door, don't answer it. I don't care who it is, okay?" Damon asked.

"You got it." She nodded and he gave her one of those rare genuine smiles.

"I owe you one." He said and she smiled happily at him since he was being nice. Damon then left and went back to the boarding house. Stefan was still asleep in his bed so he went in and took Stefan's ring from his finger and Stefan stirred. "Caroline is coming over in about an hour. She'll get you fed, okay?" Damon asked and Stefan nodded.

"Have fun, I'll call if I need you." Stefan said then dozed off again.

* * *

><p>When it was time to finally leave, Damon put on his Ray Ban sunglasses and his leather jacket and drove over to Ric's with the top down on his car since it was a really nice day. He was wearing his usual dark jeans and boots with a black v neck John Varvatos short sleeve fitted t-shirt. He swaggered up to Alaric's apartment and leaned against the door pane as he knocked, signature smirk in place. A few minutes later, Alaric opened the door with bed hair wearing shorts and a robe. Damon cocked an eyebrow as he took in Alaric's appearance. He looked hot just woken up.<p>

"Morning, sexy." Damon quipped and Alaric rubbed his eyes. "You sleep in?" He chuckled.

"Yeah, sorry. Come on in." He said and Damon followed him in and closed the door. He sped in front of Alaric.

"Where's my kiss?" Damon asked amused.

"Morning breath." Alaric shook his head and Damon laughed.

"I don't care about that." Damon replied as Alaric went into the bathroom.

"I do." Alaric called. "Let me just brush my teeth before you kiss me to death." He grumped and Damon smirked amused.

"Aren't you grumpy in the morning?" Damon chuckled. A few minutes later Alaric came out of the bathroom and Damon had him pinned against the wall before he could say anything. "I do believe you said something about me kissing you to death." Damon smirked.

"It's too early for wall-pinning, Damon." Alaric groaned and Damon laughed then kissed him quickly on the lips before walking over to the couch and slumping down.

"Go get ready." Damon instructed. "Are all these boxes ready to go?" Damon asked and Alaric nodded. "I'll take them down to the car." He said and Ric looked surprised.

"Thanks." He smiled and Damon winked at him then picked up a box under each arm and sped out. Alaric wasn't sure he would ever get used to Damon being so nice. He shook his head then went for a shower and got dressed. When he came out Damon was lying on the couch staring at the ceiling. "Something interesting up there?" Alaric asked and Damon smirked.

"I was just vampire sleeping." Damon smirked then stood up. "You ready?" He asked.

"Sure." Alaric nodded. They went down to the car and got in. Alaric had never been in Damon's car with the top down before and he grinned at the thought. They drove over to the Gilberts and Alaric took one box up to the door and unlocked it as Damon took two. They took them upstairs to the spare room and set them down. Damon sped outside and had the remaining two boxes in before Alaric could even leave the room and Damon smirked at his surprised expression.

"I'm just going to speak to mini-Gilbert." Damon said and Ric nodded and went back down stairs. Damon went and knocked on his door. Jeremy opened the door and was surprised to see Damon.

"Damon? What are you doing here so early?" Jeremy yawned.

"Helping Ric with boxes. What did you want to talk to me about? I'm going out of town with Ric for the day." Damon explained.

"Oh. Uh... Anna and Vicki are kind of... back from the dead." He said and Damon's jaw dropped.

"When did this happen?" He asked.

"The night I got shot." Jeremy replied and things fell into place for Damon.

"The consequences." Damon nodded. "Where are they?" He asked.

"Vicki's in the basement since she can't be in the sunlight and Anna..." Jeremy said then Anna came out of Jeremy's room and Damon smiled at her.

"I'm actually glad to see you." Damon smirked and she giggled and hugged him, surprising Jeremy, and Damon hugged her back.

"It's nice to be back." She smiled.

"What about Vicki?" Damon cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not exactly thrilled that she's back." Damon said.

"I've been making sure she doesn't hurt anyone." Anna replied. "But she's really unstable." She said quietly and Damon nodded.

"I'll take care of it later." Damon whispered. "Can you look out for the Gilberts today? I need to go out of town for a few hours." He shrugged. He was so not going to let Vicki Donovan stand in the way of his non-date with Ric.

"Sure." She smiled.

"There's plenty of blood at the boarding house if you need any and I'll be back by dark." He whispered low enough that Vicki wouldn't hear him.

"Thanks." Anna smiled.

"Why are you being so nice?" Jeremy smirked. "Did you get some last night?" Jeremy asked.

"You smell like..." Anna started but Damon's eyes widened, signalling to her to stop.

"Jeremy, I need a moment with your girlfriend." Damon said then picked her up and sped down the stairs with her and out the back door, confusing Alaric since he only saw a blur. Once they were a few hundred yards away, Damon stopped and put her down. "You can't say anything. Please." Damon pleaded.

"You're seriously screwing the teacher?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"No, not screwing." Damon said quietly and Anna's jaw dropped.

"You're together?" She asked.

"We haven't really talked about it yet but... sort of. Maybe. Yes." Damon shrugged. "We just wanted to see what it was first before telling everyone." He said and she smiled at him kindly and nodded.

"I won't say anything, I promise. For what it's worth, I'm glad you met someone, Damon. Katherine was never good enough for you." She said and Damon blinked in surprise. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before.

"Thank you." Damon nodded. "I hope you stick around, Annabelle. Now that John Gilbert is dead, we can have some fun." He smirked and she laughed.

"I am sticking around." She grinned. "Jeremy wants me to stay." She said.

"You're good for him." Damon nodded. "Anyway, I need to get going. If Jeremy asks just tell him I went to see Caroline this morning and that's why I smell like her. Tell him I didn't want anyone to know that I went to see her." Damon shrugged.

"I promise." She said.

"And I wouldn't be totally heartbroken if Vicki ends up back in the ground." Damon smirked as the two of them walked back to the house.

"You do that yourself then. I'll only do it if she hurts him." Anna said and he nodded. They went back into the house and Alaric's eyes widened.

"Anna?" Alaric asked in disbelief.

"Hi." She smiled then turned to Damon. "See you later." She nodded then disappeared upstairs.

"Let's go, Ric. I'll explain on the way." Damon said and the two of them left the house. Once in the car, Damon explained the situation to Ric.

"Are you really going to kill Vicki again?" Ric asked surprised.

"There are already too many vampires in this town. It's enough that I have to look out for Stefan and Blondie without adding her to the mix. She's not the type who can be reasoned with. If she wants to kill, she will kill." Damon replied and Ric nodded with a chuckle.

"You just described yourself." Ric pointed out and Damon smirked.

"I can be... persuaded." Damon cocked an eyebrow and Ric laughed.

"Oh, really?" Ric asked as he turned to look at Damon.

"Mmhmm." Damon purred then captured Ric's lips in a quick kiss.

"Damon, you're driving." Ric laughed.

"I have mad skills." Damon countered seductively.

"Speaking of your mad skills..." Ric pulled away and looked awkward.

"What's on your mind?" Damon asked confused.

"Have you ever... uh... slept with a guy?" Ric asked.

"Not completely... if you know what I'm getting at." Damon shrugged. "Have you?" He asked.

"No." Ric replied then Damon smirked.

"Why?" He asked teasingly and Ric blushed causing Damon to grin. "You've been thinking about it, haven't you?" Damon chuckled.

"Haven't you?" Ric asked a little defensively.

"I think about sex every other minute so I think you know the answer to that." Damon smirked. "But, I'm kind of glad we didn't just drunkenly fall into bed." Damon shrugged.

"You don't mind waiting?" Ric asked surprised.

"For a while." Damon cocked an eyebrow and Alaric sighed in relief. "I'm not going to pressure you, just so you know." Damon said more seriously. "This is new for both of us." He said and Alaric smiled at him.

"That's a relief." He replied and Damon smirked.

"I've got all of eternity you know." Damon shrugged. "A few months to wait, is no big deal." He grinned.

"I don't know about months..." Ric said and Damon laughed. "You're different now, you know." Ric commented and Damon looked confused.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"You just seem more relaxed and maybe happier?" Ric said and Damon smiled softly.

"I'm comfortable with you." Damon said genuinely. "You don't expect me to be anything but myself. It's refreshing." Damon admitted.

"When I said I liked you, it didn't come with conditions." Ric shrugged and Damon grinned.

"I know." Damon then leaned in and kissed Ric again. Ric chuckled.

"Watch the road." Ric instructed and Damon smirked. "My ring doesn't stop me from dying in a car crash." He added and Damon frowned.

"I'd get you out before anything would happen." He shrugged. "Or if I couldn't, I'd bite you or something so that it's me that killed you and not the car." He said and Ric looked surprised.

"You thought this through?" Ric asked.

"Well, you are kind of a fragile human... I have to think these things through if I want you to stick around." Damon pointed out and Ric smirked.

"And do you want me to stick around?" Ric asked curiously.

"Is this the relationship talk?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Ric chuckled.

"Do you always answer a question with a question?" Ric asked amused.

"You don't have to be insecure about me." Damon said seriously.

"I just haven't had a lot of luck in that department." Ric said shyly.

"Neither have I." Damon smirked. "I'll be your secret boyfriend then, since I do want you to stick around." He chuckled and Ric blushed.

"What do you mean?" Ric asked and Damon laughed.

"When two people like each other, they sometimes get together and become an item." Damon teased and Ric rolled his eyes.

"I know that." Ric quipped and Damon smirked.

"I guess it means that I don't sleep with anyone else and neither do you." Damon shrugged.

"I haven't thought about anyone else since this thing started." Ric motioned between them.

"Neither have I." Damon winked.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the museum before it opened so they went to have some coffee before the exhibit. They sat next to each other and Alaric could tell that Damon was having difficulty saying something.<p>

"What's wrong?" Ric asked and Damon smiled a little nervously.

"Uh... We're not in Mystic Falls." Damon said and Ric chuckled.

"I'm glad the drive here registered with you." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"Funny." He said. "I just meant that we won't see anyone we know here." Damon said then Alaric realised what he was saying and smiled at him fondly. He leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Does that answer your question?" Alaric asked and Damon smirked.

"I didn't ask that." Damon said.

"Yeah, you did." Ric replied kindly. "Let's get going." He nodded towards the museum. Damon nodded in agreement then they left the cafe.

"So I can kiss you whenever I want today?" Damon asked cheekily and Ric laughed.

"I'm not saying yes to that because you'll end up doing it at the most inappropriate times." Ric smiled and Damon chuckled. "But, we can do this." Ric said then took Damon's hand. Damon looked down at their hands and wasn't really sure what to say to that so he didn't say anything. Instead, he interlaced their fingers and they walked over to the museum. Both of them found it a little odd that they were holding hands – since it was them – yet neither let go.

"See that girl over there in the yellow dress?" Damon smirked and Ric looked to where Damon was pointing.

"What about her?" Ric asked curiously.

"She just told her friend that she wouldn't mind being the filling in a sandwich of you and me." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"We should wave at her." Ric said and Damon laughed. Ric looked over at the girl and waved while Damon winked at her and she blushed crimson and looked mortified.

"We're going to get that a lot." Damon said. "A lot of girls have fantasies like that."

"Speaking of things we're going to get a lot..." Ric said uncomfortably. "When we eventually go public with this in Mystic Falls, could you do me a favour?" He asked and Damon looked intrigued.

"What?" He asked.

"Can you compel the teachers and principal at the school to not care?" Ric asked and Damon looked shocked.

"They would care?" Damon asked surprised.

"It's a small town, Damon. They might." He said and Damon nodded.

"We don't have to go public if you don't want to. I don't want you to lose your job because of me." Damon said sincerely.

"If you compel them, I won't." Ric shrugged. "I don't care what they think, but I need to earn a living." He replied and Damon thought about that as they walked through the doors of the museum.

* * *

><p>They spent hours in the museum looking over the dinosaur exhibits and Alaric had never seen Damon so animated by anything. He was almost like a kid about it all. It only made Alaric like him more. As much as he liked Damon at his worst, and he did, he also liked the softer side that only he got to see. There was a 3D experience that they both went on where you get strapped into seats and it moves and dinosaurs jump out at you and Damon was grinning the whole time. He didn't jump like Alaric did but his thinking was along the lines of 'c'mon, the guy's a vampire... He could totally out run a velociraptor!' Alaric spent a while speaking to the curator of the museum and Damon got bored so he went to the museum shop. He bought himself a black t-shirt with a tyrannosaurus rex on it. He thought it was cool because it looked like the t-rex was ripping out of the shirt. Damon bought a similar one for Alaric but with a velociraptor since Ric seemed to be terrified of them. Damon smirked at the thought... Ric's going out with a vampire but he's scared of something extinct...<p>

Things had been going really well for them all day, they held hands a lot and they'd had the occasional kiss but mostly they were just really enjoying each other's company. Damon realised that he was actually happy. He looked at Alaric and his problems just seemed to melt away, as if as long as Ric was there, he'd be fine. Around 4pm, Damon went to look for Ric since they would have to head back soon. He'd promised Stefan that he'd be back before dark, but gathered things were fine since he hadn't called. He found Ric still speaking to the curator. He walked over to them and saw they were in a deep discussion.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I need to be back soon, unfortunately." Damon said to Ric. He was reluctant to go back to the town where he had to pretend that Ric wasn't his.

"That's alright." The curator smiled awkwardly. He obviously didn't like the look of Damon. "It was wonderful to meet you Alaric, please let me know of your decision and come back any time." The curator said then left.

"What did you buy?" Ric asked curiously as they walked out and Damon smirked.

"Souvenirs." He replied then pulled out the shirts to show him. "I got this for you since you like them so much." Damon laughed and Alaric shot him annoyed look as they walked to the car.

"I'm not scared of raptors; I just wasn't expecting one to jump out when it did." Ric defended and Damon chuckled.

"You squealed like a girl." Damon grinned and Ric rolled his eyes.

"That wasn't me." Ric huffed and Damon laughed. "Thanks for the shirt anyway." He said.

"I'll trade yours if you like this one better." Damon shrugged and showed the t-rex shirt.

"No, I like the raptor one." Ric smiled then they got in the car and Damon drove off.

"So, what was that guy saying about a decision?" Damon asked curiously and Ric sighed.

"Doesn't matter, I have to say no." He said sadly.

"Tell me." Damon encouraged.

"He offered me a job as his trainee replacement. He's retiring next year and needs to show someone the ropes and he thinks I'd be perfect for the job." Ric said.

"And what do you think about it?" Damon asked curiously.

"When I was studying history at college it was for that job. It's my dream job." He shrugged.

"Why do you have to say no then?" Damon asked confused.

"It would be starting in August and with Jenna dead, I might have to take over as guardian for Jeremy." He replied.

"So move him up here." Damon said. "Or just drive up here to work every day. It only takes an hour." Damon shrugged and Alaric thought about it.

"You think?" Ric asked sceptically.

"Ric, if it's your dream job, then take it." Damon nodded. "Jeremy can go to school anywhere and if he doesn't want to move up here then you just drive up here and back." He said.

"What about you?" Alaric asked and Damon smiled softly. He was touched that Ric would think of him.

"If we are still together in August, if you move up here, I'll move too." Damon shrugged. "I don't care where I am." He said and Ric smiled. He liked that Damon would do something like that for him. "I was going to leave anyway before this thing between us happened." He shrugged.

"Well, the good thing about this is I don't have to stay in Charlottesville. After the training year, I can work at any of the affiliated museums." He grinned as he started to get excited about the job and Damon could tell.

"Call him now and tell him you'll take it." Damon smiled.

"Okay." Rick grinned and got his phone out and dialled the number. He spoke to the curator and happily accepted the job and the curator was thrilled. He had to go back to the museum sometime in the next couple of weeks to fill in the forms but the job was his.

"Congratulations on your new job." Damon smiled at him once he was off the phone.

"Thanks for encouraging me to take it. Can we celebrate?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled.

"I was already thinking about which whiskey to choose." Damon smirked.

* * *

><p>They arrived back at the boarding house and Damon groaned.<p>

"What?" Ric asked quietly.

"Now we're officially secret again." Damon whispered.

"It won't be for long." Ric winked and Damon grinned. They got out of the car and walked into the house where they found Stefan and Caroline playing cards and laughing. Damon raised an eyebrow to Ric who only smiled.

"How's it going ladies?" Damon asked as he walked into the living room.

"Hey!" Caroline exclaimed with a smile.

"Did you have a good time at the museum?" Stefan asked.

"They had a 3D ride and Ric screamed like a girl." Damon chuckled and Ric playfully smacked his arm.

"It was great, Stefan. Ignore him." Ric said. "I'm no longer a history teacher." Ric said and Stefan looked concerned.

"You still are until the end of the school year." Damon reminded him.

"Fine, I won't be a school teacher any longer after this year." Ric corrected and Damon grinned.

"Why?" Caroline asked curiously.

"I got offered a job as a trainee head curator." Ric grinned. "And I accepted."

"Congratulations!" Stefan smiled and Damon rolled his eyes as he walked over to the drinks cabinet.

"Have you had too much sugar, Stefan?" Damon quipped and Stefan glared at him since they both knew it was Caroline that was affecting him.

"We ate the rest of the profiteroles." Stefan smirked at Damon and he huffed in annoyance.

"Didn't I tell you not to touch them?" Damon exclaimed.

"Yeah, but that was yesterday." Stefan pointed out.

"Whatever. Okay, Barbie you can clear out now. Babysitting for the day is finished." Damon said annoyed and Caroline's smile fell.

"You can stay as long as you want." Stefan said to her kindly and she grinned at him.

"No, she can't. We have things to discuss." Damon said.

"About what?" Stefan asked and Damon narrowed his eyes.

"Fine, she can stay but she gets no say in the matter." Damon warned. "You know Bonnie said there would be consequences to bringing Jeremy back to life?" Damon asked.

"Yes." Stefan nodded.

"It brought Vicki and Anna back." Damon said. "I just thought you should know before I stake Vicki." Damon shrugged.

"Damon, you can't..." Caroline exclaimed and he stared at her.

"Didn't I just say that you didn't get a say in the matter?" He asked. "We don't need you, Stefan or Vicki going off the rails and massacring the town." He said to her.

"No, that's your job." Caroline said sarcastically and Damon smirked. For a moment he truly considered ending her for that comment but had to admire her guts for saying it.

"Exactly." Damon said. "But I do it because I'm just a bastard, not because I don't have control of myself." Damon reminded her.

"You're such a dick!" She exclaimed and Damon grinned. Alaric was watching curiously, convinced Damon would kill her but he just looked amused.

"I might be a dick, but you are just useless and pathetic." Damon smirked. He just said that to be mean to her, not because he believed it. He did actually care about the little vampire but wasn't going to allow her to think she was so tough that she could have any effect on him. That and he wanted her to leave so he could spend time with Alaric.

"Damon, you know that's not true." Stefan said shocked.

"Fine. I'll just call my buddy Liz and see what she thinks we should do about Vicki." Damon shrugged. "I bet her answer will be the same as mine. And Stefan? She's staying in the Gilbert basement. Elena was her first taste of human blood last time... who do you think she'll target this time knowing you staked her to save Elena?" Damon asked seriously.

"You're right." Stefan sighed in defeat. "She's not the type that can be trained. She'll end up a ripper." He nodded.

"How can you agree with him?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Because I was a ripper, Caroline." Stefan admitted reluctantly. "I know the damage she could cause."

"Couldn't you just lock her in the cell downstairs until you're better then teach her like you both taught me?" Caroline asked pleadingly.

"Don't be naive." Damon snapped. "She won't listen like you did." Damon shook his head. "She'll turn her emotions off if she hasn't done so already and it'll be a blood bath. This is why I told you to leave; so you would have no part in this." Damon said annoyed.

"How about I leave now then?" Caroline asked. "And I won't ask what you do." She suggested.

"Fine, just don't tell anyone about this." Damon warned and she nodded then left.

"You didn't have to be so mean to her." Stefan scolded him.

"It was a little harsh." Alaric nodded.

"I don't care." Damon shook his head. "She isn't a human anymore. She can't think like a human." He explained and Alaric could understand that. There were a lot of things that if you looked at them from a human's perspective, wouldn't be understandable. But it was the world they lived in. "Even if that means she learns the hard way. We can't be there to take care of her for all eternity, Stefan." Damon said seriously and Stefan nodded. Damon had a point.

"So, we're going to stake Vicki?" He asked sadly.

"No, you're staying here. I'll go do it." Damon muttered. "Ric, why don't you tell Jeremy about the job and distract him?" Damon suggested.

"No, if you're staking Vicki, he needs to be told that." Ric said. "He loved her once, he deserves to know."

"He was there when I told Anna I would do it." Damon pointed out and both Stefan and Alaric looked surprised. "Bonnie's going to get a shock when she finds out how cosy they are again." Damon shrugged.

"What are we going to do about Anna?" Stefan asked.

"Nothing. She's not a threat." Damon replied.

* * *

><p>Ric and Damon turned up at the Gilbert house and thankfully, Elena was out with Bonnie at the Grill when they arrived.<p>

"Does Elena know they're back?" Damon asked Jeremy.

"No." He replied and Damon nodded.

"I'm taking Vicki out to feed." Damon said and Jeremy looked confused.

"I thought..." He started and Damon glared at him to be quiet. The sun was just setting and Vicki came up from the basement.

"Damon." She smiled and he felt bad about what he was going to have to do.

"Vicki." He smirked. "C'mon, we're going out to eat." He said to her and she laughed.

"Thank god! I've been starving all day." She complained.

"Yeah, I figured as much." Damon said. "Let's go." He nodded towards the back door. The two of them walked out into the woods when Damon silently pulled out a vervain dart and stuck her in the arm. She turned to look at him with shock and betrayal on her face before she passed out. He brought out the stake he had hidden in his boot and staked her before digging a deeper hole than last time and laying her to rest. "I'm sorry." He said quietly then filled the hole, and went back to the house in a bad mood. Ric and Jeremy were sitting on the couches talking about the job when he came in.

"Is she..." Jeremy said hesitantly and Damon nodded solemnly.

"She was a major liability and I know that it's my fault, but we can't have her running rampage." Damon explained.

"I understand." He nodded then Anna came in the back door behind him.

"I saw what you did for her." Anna said softly and both Jeremy and Alaric looked confused.

"What did he do?" Jeremy asked.

"Let's not..." Damon started but Anna cut him off.

"He vervained her first so she wouldn't be conscious of the stake coming." Anna said.

"I just didn't want her to put up a fight." Damon lied and they all knew it. "And you." Damon pointed at Jeremy. "You should break up with Bonnie before she finds out about you and Anna." Damon said and Jeremy's eyes widened.

"How did you know?" He asked surprised.

"I can smell it. And Elena doesn't find out about Vicki, are we clear?" Damon replied annoyed and Jeremy nodded. "Anyway... I'm off to get out of my mind drunk. Have fun." Damon said to them all then started to walk out of the house. Alaric followed him out to the front of the house.

"You want company?" Ric asked hesitantly and Damon smiled at him and took his hand.

"No, not tonight." Damon said in a heavy tone. Killing Vicki had been really hard for him this time.

"Call me if you need anything." Ric nodded in understanding then Damon kissed him.

"Can we do something fun tomorrow?" He asked. "Go somewhere and celebrate your job maybe?" He added.

"Sure." Ric grinned then kissed him again and Damon moaned against his mouth.

"Okay, now I do want company." He smirked and Ric laughed.

"I'll get my jacket." He said then went back in the house.


	7. Bliss

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 7

* * *

><p>Damon and Ric arrived back at the boarding house and were hardly in the door when Damon had him pinned against a wall and the two of them were kissing like it was going out of fashion. A few moments later, Damon pulled away abruptly and turned his back on Ric.<p>

"What's wrong?" Ric asked panting.

"I just need a minute." Damon said and Ric understood.

"Can I see?" He asked curiously.

"Why?"

"Because I haven't seen your vampire face up close before." Ric replied. Damon turned around and stood in front of Alaric fully vamped out, feeling a little nervous about Alaric seeing the monster. Alaric studied his face, looking at the bloodshot addition to his ice blue eyes, the black veins protruding underneath and the fangs that had grown in his mouth and thought he looked even more attractive like that, were it possible. He heard footsteps and Damon snapped his head to the side in time to see Bonnie throwing him against the wall magically. "What the hell, Bonnie?" Ric yelled as Damon held his head and yelled in pain. "Stop!" He shouted.

"He was going to attack you!" Bonnie said as she stopped giving Damon aneurisms. Clearly she hadn't seen them making out.

"No, he wasn't." Ric shook his head. "I asked to see his vampire face." Ric replied and she looked embarrassed.

"I'm really sorry, Damon. It just didn't look like that." Bonnie replied. Alaric held out his hand and Damon took it as he was hauled up on his feet.

"I don't think you get how the whole vampire thing works, Judgy." Damon snapped. "If I was going to drain him, do you think I'd just stand there like a statue while he looked at my face?" Damon asked annoyed.

"I said I was sorry." She replied.

"Why are you here?" Damon snapped.

"Stefan called me over to tell me about Vicki and Anna." Bonnie replied and Damon closed his eyes and took a deep breath so he wouldn't go mental.

"Well, Vicki is taken care of." Damon replied.

"Already?" Bonnie asked startled.

"Yes." Damon nodded. "But don't tell Elena. The last thing I need is her going off on me and giving me another one of her 'be the better man' speeches." Damon said.

"Okay." She agreed. "What about Anna?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

"She's not a threat to the town. I'm glad she's back." Damon replied. It was true after all. He'd been furious when John had staked her and there was nothing he could do.

"Why didn't Jeremy tell me?" Bonnie asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Do I look like a couple's counsellor?" Damon asked. "Ask him." He shrugged then walked past her and stumbled a little and had to grip the wall for support.

"Damon, what's wrong?" Alaric asked worriedly.

"I just haven't had any blood today and I'm still not at full health after the wolf bite." Damon replied as he sat down on the ground. "Having to heal from multiple aneurisms didn't help." He glared at Bonnie. He hated showing weakness. Stefan appeared then and handed Damon a blood bag. "Thanks, baby bro." Damon nodded then started sipping the blood.

"That's disgusting." Bonnie said and Damon smirked.

"Then by all means, leave." He said to her and she huffed then went out the door, slamming it behind her.

"What the hell happened?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Sabrina thought it would be a good idea to attack me for no reason." Damon snarled. Half way through the blood bag he made a face then gave the bag back to Stefan. "This crap isn't going to cut it." Damon said as he pulled himself back on his feet.

"You're going hunting?" Stefan asked cautiously.

"I need fresh stuff." Damon said to his brother.

"I'll give you some." Ric shrugged and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I don't think that would be a good idea." Damon replied.

"Why not?" Ric asked curiously. Damon sighed then turned to Stefan.

"Shoo." Damon waved Stefan away and Stefan smirked at Alaric before disappearing into the living room. "When a vampire... likes a human, their blood tastes better." Damon explained and Ric furrowed his brow.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Ric asked curiously.

"It's a good thing for me, but not so much for you." He replied.

"Why? Will it stop your control?" Ric asked.

"No, I'm old." Damon chuckled. "I'd have to be at the point of death before my control would be gone." He replied.

"I'm not following." Ric replied.

"Fine, I'll be blunt." Damon said. "If I taste your blood, I'll crave it." Damon confessed and Ric looked surprised.

"In what way?" Ric asked.

"Blood sharing between a vampire and a human is a lot like sex. If I drink your blood, every time I see you it would be like watching the hottest porn you've ever seen and not being able to get off." Damon explained.

"Oh." Ric blinked in mixed surprise and intrigue. "Does that ever wear off?" He asked.

"After a blood bond is made." Damon nodded.

"What's that?" Ric cocked his head. He was learning a lot about vampires recently.

"If we fed from each other a few times it would eventually make a blood bond where we would be able to feel each other's emotions and sense each other's general whereabouts. I'd be able to find you and know if you were in danger or hurt. It can also intensify your feelings and if the bond is strong enough, you feel better when the other is near. It's common in relationships between a vampire and a human."

"Does that last forever?"

"No." Damon shook his head. "It goes away after a few weeks if it's not continued." Damon shrugged.

"Want to try it?" Ric smirked and Damon looked startled.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked. "I'll end up being pretty handsy with you afterwards." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"Doesn't sound too bad." Ric replied. "Have you had a blood bond before?" He asked curiously.

"Not since I was the human in it." Damon smirked. "Are you sure?" He asked.

"I'd like to try it." Ric smiled. "Do you want to?" Damon chuckled.

"Let's go." Damon said and took Ric's hand. They walked up to Damon's room and he closed the door behind them. Once inside he kissed Ric passionately allowing his tongue to graze Ric's lips asking for entrance. Ric opened his mouth and Damon cupped his cheeks as Ric pulled him closer. After a short while Damon shrugged his jacket off and pushed Ric's off. He tugged at Alaric's shirt bringing it up and Alaric lifted his arms so Damon could pull it off. They kept kissing as Damon unbuttoned his own shirt and threw it on the ground. He directed Alaric to the bed, never breaking the kiss until Alaric fell back on the bed and moved himself backwards so that his whole body was on it. Damon crawled up on top of him and kissed him again then pulled away to look into his eyes. "Do you trust me?" Damon asked and Alaric saw a vulnerability in his eyes that was never there before.

"With my life." Alaric replied. "Do you trust me?" He asked and Damon smiled then reached over into his bedside cabinet and pulled out a pocket knife.

"I've never let anyone drink from my neck before. You'll be the first." He said. "That shows how much I trust you." Damon said softly and Alaric smiled then Damon started kissing him again before slowly moving his kisses over Ric's cheek, then jaw and down his neck. Damon licked and sucked on the pulse point and he was surprised at just how relaxed Alaric was. "Oh, advance warning." Damon said as he pulled his head back up to look at Ric. "You might orgasm from this." He said and Alaric's eyes widened.

"Oh." Was all he could say and Damon smirked.

"Don't worry; I will most likely have one too." He said in a whisper. "I've never had the blood of someone I care about before... I've heard that it's the best I'll ever have." He admitted then kissed him softly and moved back to his neck. He continued softly sucking on the unbroken skin for another minute before letting his face change and sliding his fangs into Alaric's skin as gently as he could. He was pleased that Alaric didn't even flinch but was surprised when his arms wrapped around his back and pulled him closer. Damon felt the blood spill into his mouth and he groaned at the sheer bliss the blood was giving him. He'd never had anything like it before. He tried not to concentrate on that too much and licked and sucked very lightly and slowly so that he wouldn't drain Ric dry. Alaric felt the tiny sting of the fangs but it was nothing compared to how incredible it felt afterwards. He felt himself get lost in a little cloud of pleasure as Damon took his blood. Damon pulled away after a few more seconds and flicked out the knife. He cut himself on the side of his neck where Alaric's mouth could reach and went back to drinking from Alaric. Moments later, Ric latched on and started drinking too. That was when the pure erotic pleasure kicked in. Both of them moaned against the other's neck and felt themselves becoming closer and closer to release. The added friction of Damon writhing a little on top of Alaric was helping things along. Moments later Damon came and Alaric wasn't long behind. Once they were done, Damon rolled to the side of his human and lay panting staring at the ceiling.

"That was better than sex." Ric said when he could form a thought and Damon smirked.

"Can you imagine what it'll be like when we add the sex to it?" Damon asked.

"I don't even want to think about that right now." Ric replied and Damon chuckled.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because then I'll forget that we're supposed to be waiting for a little while and probably jump you." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"True. Your blood was something else entirely though." Damon said.

"Were they right? Was it the best?" Ric smirked and Damon nodded.

"Without question." He replied immediately. Alaric felt a little fluttery at his admission.

"I don't really see the problem with us doing that again." Ric replied and Damon chuckled.

"Glad to hear it." He replied then thought of something. "Shit." He said and Alaric turned to look at him.

"What?" He asked.

"I just remembered something we should have discussed before we did this." Damon said. "If we continue doing this, you're almost always going to have vampire blood in your system." He said hoping Alaric would get it.

"I didn't think of that." Alaric said quietly.

"We don't have to do it again." Damon said. "It's probably a little early to be thinking about you turning." He replied.

"It is early but I'd rather be a vampire than be dead." Ric said shocking Damon.

"If you're sure." Damon nodded with a smile. He was glad that Ric felt that way.

"You look really pleased with that answer." Ric pointed out with a chuckle.

"Well, it's nice for me that you aren't completely opposed to the idea." Damon shrugged. "Unlike Stefan, who knows that Elena will never become a vampire." He replied quietly.

"If things work out between us I would choose to do it." Alaric replied.

"Before things get too serious, I have to just ask." Damon said looking deep into Alaric's eyes. "Don't you want a normal life and a family?" He asked in a whisper.

"One, I'm never going to have a normal life." Alaric replied. "Two, I wouldn't have started things with you if I was going to turn around later and say it isn't what I want." Alaric said and Damon smiled and leaned forward to kiss him then he moved Alaric's arm so that he could cuddle into his chest. He wrapped his arm over Ric's chest and his forehead rested against Ric's cheek. "I need a shower." Ric chuckled as did Damon.

"So do I." He nodded. "Five more minutes. This is comfortable." Damon mumbled against Ric's skin. They lay like that for a while in silence just enjoying each other's company.

"Do you put gel in your hair?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled.

"I have to." Damon replied.

"Why?" Ric asked amused.

"Because I have curly hair." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"No way. You'll have to show me." He said as he rubbed circles on Damon's back.

"I don't think so." Damon replied.

"Why not? I think you'd look nice with curly hair." Ric admitted.

"Fine, you'll see it when I get out of the shower." Damon conceded. A short while later, Damon had a vampire speed shower and came out with a towel wrapped around him after towel drying his hair to show Ric. He walked into the bedroom where Ric still lay in the bed. Ric was turned on by how hot Damon looked wet and didn't even notice the curly hair. "So you can see my stupid hair." He smirked then Ric looked. He looked sort of cute with curly hair rather than badass Damon Salvatore. Rick smirked. "Told you, it's awful." Damon said.

"I like it." Ric grinned. "You should leave it like that for tonight." He said and Damon cocked his eyebrow.

"You actually like this?" Damon asked sceptically as he pointed to his head.

"A lot." Ric smirked and Damon understood that it was turning him on.

"Alright, I'll leave it." Damon smiled cheekily then returned to the bathroom to get redressed in clean clothes including his new shirt from the museum. "Do you want me to run over to your apartment and grab you some clothes while you're in the shower?" He asked.

"You wouldn't mind?" Ric asked.

"No, Stefan needs to get out of the house since he's been stuck in here for days. It will be good for him to go on a little run with me. Plus, he no doubt wants to lecture me about you." Damon rolled his eyes.

"I like Stefan but if he says something, just say I said it's not his business." Ric shrugged and Damon grinned.

"I will." He replied. "I'll need your keys unless you want your door broken down." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled. "They're in my jacket pocket." Alaric replied as he walked into the bathroom and Damon showed him where the towels were then kissed him goodbye. He left the room and went down stairs feeling strong again after Ric's blood and just a little giddy at how happy the teacher made him. He got downstairs and Stefan was watching a DVD loudly.

"Hey, let's go for a run." Damon said and Stefan turned to look at him and chuckled.

"I haven't seen your curly hair in decades." Stefan said and Damon shrugged.

"Ric likes it." He said annoyed and Stefan smirked.

"Did you just have sex with him?" Stefan asked.

"No." Damon shook his head. "Come on." Damon nodded towards the door. "You need to get out of the house." He said then Stefan paused the movie and followed him out the door, knowing Damon wouldn't leave him alone in the house with Ric. They sped to Ric's apartment in silence. Damon unlocked the door and went in while Stefan stood in the hallway since he hadn't been invited in. Damon packed a couple of shirts, jeans, socks and boxers into a little travel bag as well as his toothbrush since Damon decided he was staying the night.

"Is he moving in?" Stefan chuckled when he saw the bag and Damon glared at him.

"I don't recall giving you shit about Elena keeping stuff at the house." Damon snapped.

"Are you actually serious about him, Damon?" Stefan asked surprised.

"Very." Damon nodded as he locked the door and they left.

"You're together now?" Stefan asked for confirmation as they walked out of the building.

"Yep." Damon replied.

"You had his blood." Stefan commented as he could smell it.

"And he had mine." Damon admitted and Stefan looked shocked.

"You started a bond?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Mmhmm. His idea, not mine." Damon replied.

"Then why did you do it, if you didn't want to?" Stefan asked.

"Obviously I wanted to, but something as serious as that was his call to make, not mine." Damon shrugged.

"Any vampires you encounter will know." Stefan said softly.

"I know." Damon nodded.

"That means your relationship won't stay secret for long." Stefan said.

"It wasn't going to be a secret for much longer anyway." Damon shrugged.

"Are you happy?" Stefan asked softly and Damon turned to look at him and smiled.

"Yeah." He nodded. "It's moving a long much faster than I expected it to though." Damon confessed.

"How so?" Stefan asked.

"I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with him." Damon replied and Stefan blinked in surprise.

"Well, as a vampire it will happen much faster for you." Stefan agreed.

"I know." Damon nodded.

"Damon, I need to say something." Stefan said as he stopped him in the woods.

"What?" Damon rolled his eyes waiting for the lecture.

"I just wanted to say that I support you in this decision you've made to be with Alaric. But I have to be honest; this town probably won't be as supportive of it." He said in a worried tone.

"I know that, Stef." Damon nodded sadly. "But... thank you for saying what you said." He replied. "I couldn't care less about what any of them think of me, but I'm worried that I'll kill anyone that says something negative to Alaric about it. That's the only reason I want it kept secret." Damon confessed. "If we're still together in August, which at this point, I'm sure we will be... I'm going to try and convince him to move to Charlottesville." Damon added.

"Would you go with him?" Stefan asked.

"He's the only reason I stayed here after the wolf bite." Damon confessed. "Well, besides you." He said and Stefan smiled.

"I was right. You've got it bad." He chuckled.

"I know." Damon nodded. "Don't think I didn't notice how you were with Caroline." Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I think it's because I've lost a bit of interest in Elena after she told me she never wanted to be a vampire." Stefan explained. "Caroline is already one." He shrugged.

"I'll deny it if you repeat this... But Barbie would be good for you. She knows how to have fun and I notice you actually smile and laugh when you're with her. You're always Mr Broody around Elena." Damon commented and Stefan nodded.

"I know that." He replied.

* * *

><p>Damon made his way into his room with the little bag and Alaric was still in the shower. He'd only been gone about ten minutes.<p>

"Ric? I'm back." Damon called into the bathroom.

"Hey." Ric called back. "That was quick." He commented.

"I didn't know what you would want to wear so I just threw a bunch of stuff in. I'll leave the bag in my room. I'll wait downstairs." Damon said.

"Thanks, Damon." Ric replied then Damon went down to his booze cabinet.

"Want a drink, Stef?" Damon asked as he poured himself and Ric one.

"Yes, please." Stefan replied as he put his DVD back on. Damon poured him a drink and handed it to him.

"I'm going to make some dinner for Ric, you want?" Damon asked.

"I think you know the answer to that." Stefan grinned and Damon rolled his eyes then went into the kitchen. Damon had a look through the ingredients he had, trying to decide what to make. He decided to go for something simple and started making homemade pizza. He made three bases, topped them with spiced tomato puree and he was putting the cheese on when Ric came into the kitchen.

"What are you making?" Ric grinned as he came up behind him and looked over his shoulder. Damon smirked when Ric wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Pizza. What do you want on it?" He asked then turned his head to the side to kiss Ric on the lips before returning to the cheese.

"What do you have?" He asked just as Stefan came in looking shocked at how affectionately they were standing. Ric move to the side awkwardly as Damon smirked at Stefan.

"What do you want on your pizza, Stef?" Damon asked casually, deciding to skip over the awkward moment.

"Uh... Mushrooms, ham and peppers." Stefan replied. "And lot's of cheese."

"I know that, Stef. Remember I've known you for over a century." He said then turned to Ric. "I swear he could eat a block of cheese raw." Damon smirked. "Ric, you can have what Stefan asked for or pepperoni, tomatoes, corn, pineapple or onions." Damon replied.

"Ham and pepperoni, please." Ric replied. "What are you having?"

"Damon likes veggie pizza." Stefan chuckled.

"I'm going with peppers, corn, pineapple and we might have some black olives." Damon shrugged as he looked through the cupboards and grinned when he found olives. "Bingo." He said and put them on the counter just as there was a knock at the door. Stefan looked alarmed as he hadn't heard anyone coming to the door. "It's probably just Anna. Go let her in." Damon instructed and Stefan left the room. Damon got a sneaky kiss in with Ric before Anna joined them in the kitchen. Damon put his arm over her shoulders. "Want to stay for pizza?" He asked her and she smiled.

"Sure." She nodded. Both Stefan and Alaric looked surprised at his reaction to her.

"What kind do you want?" He asked as he made another base and applied sauce and cheese at vampire speed. Alaric chuckled at the sight.

"Do you have any pineapple?" She asked and Damon smirked.

"Obviously." He said and she giggled.

"Pineapple and corn, please." She said as she saw the tin of sweet corn. Damon quickly put on all the toppings on the pizzas and shoved them in the huge oven and set the timer.

"What brings you by?" Damon asked as he went over to the fridge, pulled out a blood bag and handed it to her.

"Uh... Elena started yelling at me." She said cautiously. "So I figured I'd come say 'hi'." She shrugged. Damon narrowed his eyes at her.

"Why was she yelling at you?" He asked curiously.

"She caught Jeremy and me kissing." Anna replied and Damon chuckled.

"That's it?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie's her best friend, Damon." Stefan replied.

"So? She should yell at Jeremy then." Damon shrugged. "Or better yet... Stay out of it and let Judgy yell at Jeremy." Stefan sighed. Damon was right.

"I should really call her." Stefan said then left the room. He got out his phone and dialled her number and she answered right away.

"_Hey._" She said.

"Hey, why were you yelling at Anna?" Stefan asked.

"_She thinks she can just show up and seduce Jeremy!_" Elena replied.

"According to Damon, Jeremy was the one that asked her to stay." Stefan replied and Elena gasped.

"_How long have you known she was back?_" Elena asked.

"A few hours only. Damon told me when he got home." Stefan replied.

"_How did he know?_" She asked.

"He was over at your house this morning helping Alaric with boxes and Jeremy told him." Stefan shrugged.

"_How could you let Damon come over if he isn't stable?_" She asked confused and Stefan sighed.

"You're kidding yourself if you think I can control anything he does." Stefan replied because it was true but also a dodge.

"_Wait, how did you know that Anna and I had an argument?_" She asked.

"She's here." Stefan replied.

"_What? Why?_" Elena asked confused.

"Damon told her she was welcome to come over whenever she wants to." Stefan replied.

"_Why would he do that?_" Elena asked.

"He likes her, I guess." Stefan shrugged.

"_Does he have feelings for her?_" Elena asked horrified and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"No, not like that." Stefan said in a bored tone.

"_What are the three of you doing?_" She asked.

"Four. Alaric's here too. Damon's making pizza." He replied.

"_Damon... is making pizza._" Elena said.

"What does it matter?" Stefan asked.

"_Well, if Alaric can be there, why can't I?_" She asked suspiciously.

"Alaric has a ring, so if Damon kills him, he'll come back." Stefan replied because it was the first thing he thought of. "Besides, Anna's here."

"_What has that got to do with anything?_" Elena asked.

"Well, she came here to get away from you yelling at her, apparently." Stefan said. "So I doubt she wants to see you right now."

"_Don't you want to see me?_" She asked furiously.

"Honestly, we've been having a nice night, so no. I'm in no mood to argue." Stefan replied. He knew he was taking out his hurt feelings on her but he couldn't help it.

"_You never want to see me anymore. Why?_" She asked.

"We should probably talk soon." Stefan replied.

"_You want to break up with me?_" She asked in disbelief.

"Let's not do this over the phone, Elena." Stefan said quietly.

"_No, I want to hear what you want to talk to me about._" She said angrily.

"Fine. Yes, I want to break up." Stefan replied and he heard her gasp.

"_What? Why?_" She asked.

"Things haven't been good between us for a while, Elena. Not only that but we live in two different worlds. I'll never fit into yours and you won't be safe in mine." He said sadly.

"_Fine, if you want to give up, go ahead._" She replied then hung up. Stefan sighed sadly then returned to the kitchen.

"You broke up with her over the phone?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"Burn." Damon mocked and Stefan shot him a dirty look.

"I didn't want to do it over the phone but it needed to be done." Stefan shrugged.

"Is this because of Caroline?" Alaric teased and Damon chuckled.

"Totally." Damon smirked at Ric.

"Oh, shut up." Stefan huffed and Damon laughed.

"Did you two start a bond?" Anna asked pointing between them and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Everyone is just so nosy." He smirked. "Yes, Annabelle. Do you want all the details too?" He asked her sarcastically and she smiled shyly.

"No, that's alright." She replied.

"It might be safer for you to stay here, by the way." Stefan said to her. "Bonnie has the power of a hundred witches and I'd hate to see her kill you out of jealousy or spite." Stefan said softly.

"I wouldn't want to impose." She said although it was obvious she liked the idea.

"It's fine." Damon nodded. "As long as you make yourself scarce if I have a non-date with Mr Embarrasses-Easily." He smirked and Anna laughed. Ric blushed a little at Damon being so forward.

"I promise." She smiled. "Who else knows?" She asked curiously.

"Nobody." Damon replied. "Why?" He raised an eyebrow.

"If you want it kept a secret, Alaric will have to steer clear of other vampires." She shrugged.

"We'll be telling people soon anyway." Rick replied.

* * *

><p>They ate their pizzas then Damon and Ric went up to Damon's room to watch a movie together. They decided to watch Superbad and after he'd put the DVD in, Damon took off his jeans and got under the covers, still wearing the museum shirt in case Ric would be uncomfortable with him just stripping off. Ric did the same and got in beside him.<p>

"That pizza was awesome." Ric said and Damon grinned.

"Glad you liked it." Damon said. "You know, I can't remember the last time someone just slept beside me." Damon chuckled. "Apart from Stefan, who passed out in here last night while watching a movie." He smirked and Ric laughed. "I woke up this morning with my brother cuddling into my back. I'm scarred for life." Damon said and Ric chuckled.

"Tonight was fun." Ric said and Damon got that glint in his eye. He rolled over so that he was on top of Alaric and cocked an eyebrow.

"Which part was your favourite?" Damon asked seductively.

"I think you know." Ric replied huskily. Damon leaned down and inhaled Ric's scent from his neck and his face changed automatically. Ric moved his hands up to touch the dark veins under Damon's eyes.

"Freaked out?" Damon asked curiously.

"No." Ric smiled. "You look hot like that." He said and Damon smirked which looked odd with one fang on show. He leaned down to whisper in Ric's ear.

"I can feel that you think it's hot." He said, indicating he was aware of Ric's hardness.

"Sorry." Ric said. He was a bit embarrassed at how easily Damon could turn him on.

"Don't apologise for it." Damon said quietly. "I like that I turn you on."

"You do." Ric nodded.

"I'm sure you can feel that it's reciprocated." Damon smirked then nudged Ric's legs open with his knee so he could kneel between them while he lay on top of him.

"Yes." Ric said as he couldn't really think straight.

"Want me to take care of it?" Damon whispered seductively. He knew they were supposed to be waiting but he was far too turned on to care. Alaric thought about it and any awkwardness he'd felt that morning about the thought of making their relationship physical was gone after their blood sharing.

"How?" He managed to ask and Damon winked then kissed him and pressed his body closer, earning a groan from Ric. He moved his fingers at vampire speed to undo the buttons on Ric's shirt revealing his toned chest and stomach. Damon pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it across the room before continuing his kiss. Ric ran his hands up Damon's sides earning a shiver. Damon reached over and grabbed the TV remote and turned the sound up so Stefan and Anna wouldn't hear them then he started kissing down Alaric's neck, licking and biting but not hard enough to break the skin. He kept moving his assault down until he reached his nipple which he licked then continued kissing his way down until he got to the waistband of Ric's boxers. He looked up at Ric and cocked an eyebrow, silently asking for permission while Ric stared through hooded eyes. When Ric didn't stop him, Damon slid his boxers down, freeing his cock. Damon pulled them right down then threw them to the side of the bed. He massaged his hand up Ric's thigh while he continued his kissing assault over Ric's hips as his hand finally reached Ric's cock and he gasped at the contact. He stroked slowly at first as Ric groaned quietly, not wanting to attract unwanted listeners. Damon then moved his face over and ran his tongue from the base to the tip before swallowing it down and Ric gasped while Damon grinned round his cock. He sucked and licked and swirled his tongue and massaged Ric's balls with his hand. Once he figured out what Ric seemed to like best, he started to go at vampire speed and Ric slapped his hand to his mouth to stop himself from screaming out in pleasure. Soon he was close. "I'm going to..." Ric said and Damon nodded, thankful for the notice. Seconds later Ric came and Damon swallowed him down then licked him clean. He moved up the bed to lie next to Ric who was panting.

"How'd I do?" Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"Incredible." Ric nodded as he pulled the blanket up to his waist to cover himself. "Where'd you learn how to do that?" Ric asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"I just did what I like." He shrugged.

"You haven't done that before?" Ric asked in disbelief and Damon smirked.

"Nope." He said the pecked him on the lips and reached over the bed to grab his boxers then handed them to him. Ric pulled them on quickly and brought the cover up again.

"Don't you want to..." Ric trailed off and Damon smirked.

"If you let me bite you, it'll be more than enough." Damon shrugged and Ric looked sceptical. "I have no inhibitions at all when it comes to sex." Damon said softly. "But, I know you need a little time to get used to it all and that's fine with me. I can wait." Damon nodded. "Plus, you don't understand the effect your blood has on me." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"Bite away." He nodded. He would be eternally grateful to Damon for being so understanding about it. Damon reached over into his drawer and pulled out a cotton handkerchief. "What's that for?" Ric asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"I can't be bothered showering again." Damon smirked and Ric understood.

"Where?" Ric asked, meaning where did Damon want to bite him.

"Lie on your side away from me." Damon said and Ric turned as requested. Damon stuffed the handkerchief into his boxers to cover himself then spooned Ric from behind and pulled him into his chest. Damon locked his arm under Ric's and brought up his wrist in front of Ric's face. "You can bite into my wrist." He whispered.

"Won't it hurt?" Ric asked and Damon kissed his shoulder for his concern. He brought his wrist to his mouth and bit into it then replaced it in front of Ric's mouth and Ric latched on. Damon groaned at the feeling then gently bit into Ric's shoulder and drew the blood out slowly, savouring every drop. Minutes later, with a little help of his hand, he had his own orgasm into the handkerchief. He licked Ric's wound clean and watched it heal closed and Ric let go of his wrist. He took out the handkerchief after wiping himself clean and tossed it into the hamper then lay down and was content just to hold onto Ric, tightly against his chest. "As good as earlier?" Ric asked softly and Damon grinned into his back.

"Better." Damon whispered and kissed the nape of his neck. Damon knew the bond was starting to build as he was already feeling much stronger about Ric. He knew that it wasn't only the bond that was making him feel the way he was but it intensified it for him. "You alright?" He asked since Ric was so quiet.

"I'm just kind of on cloud 9." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked. He was so pleased that Ric was as happy to be there as he was. "I feel like I never want to move, I'm so comfortable." Ric said.

"You can stay with me for as long as you want to." Damon said.

"As tempting as that is, it's back to reality tomorrow." Ric said as he laced his fingers through Damon's.

"What's tomorrow?" Damon asked.

"School." Ric chuckled.

"Oh, right." Damon mumbled. "What time do you need to get up?" He asked. He only ever slept for a few hours and it wasn't that late.

"7am." Ric replied.

"I'll get you up." Damon promised.

"Thanks." Ric said.

"The blood will have you bright as a button in the morning." Damon chuckled. "So get some sleep." He said.

"Night, Damon." He whispered already dozing off.

"Night, Ric." Damon replied giving him a kiss on the back and Ric gave his hand a light squeeze before they both drifted off to sleep. Happy.


	8. I Told Her About You

Lost Boys

Chapter 8

* * *

><p>Damon woke up much earlier than Ric did but was more than happy just to lie there with his arm around him. Things had progressed so quickly between them emotionally that Damon felt like they'd been together for months. When it finally was 7am Damon sighed in annoyance at having to wake him but did it anyway. He shook Ric lightly until he stirred.<p>

"Morning." Damon smirked into his shoulder.

"Morning." He yawned. "I slept like a baby." Ric chuckled.

"I know. I woke up a few hours ago. It's the vampire blood." Damon commented.

"What were you doing for those few hours?" Ric asked teasingly.

"Vampire sleeping." Damon shrugged and Ric turned to face him. Damon pulled him close wanting to kiss him but Ric turned his face and Damon pouted.

"Morning breath." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"So what? I told you I don't care." Damon replied with his smirk then kissed Alaric when he wasn't expecting it. "It's not even bad." Damon commented and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Whatever." He said then rolled on top of Damon and kissed him.

"Mmm." Damon purred. "I think I like morning Ric." He teased as he stared up at him.

"Wait, that's twice I've heard you say vampire sleeping, what's that?" He asked curiously.

"Normal sleep doesn't actually do anything for a vampire. To allow your body to heal and recuperate, you have to just let yourself be dead. It's kind of like zoning out but without breathing or a pulse. It refreshes us and makes us stronger." Damon shrugged as he reached up with one hand to smooth Alaric's bed hair.

"Do you normally have a pulse?" Ric asked.

"Yeah but it's really slow. It's like anywhere from one to about twelve beats per minute. Depending on what I'm doing." He smirked and Ric laughed. "Want me to drive you to school today?" Damon asked.

"Sure, thanks." Ric grinned and leaned down to kiss him again. "But we need to stop by my apartment to pick up my work bag." He said.

"When do we need to leave?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Ric smiled.

"In about half hour." Ric replied.

"Whatever will we do then?" Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"We don't have time for anything like that." Ric smirked.

"Why not?" Damon complained.

"Because, I've been spending all my time with you and I completely ignored a bunch of tests that need to be graded for today." Ric said.

"I can grade your tests." Damon replied. "I can have them done in a fraction of the time." Damon pointed out.

"What?" Ric chuckled.

"Just give them to me before you go to school and I'll bring them by as soon as I'm done." Damon replied with a shrug.

"Are you serious?" Ric asked in disbelief and Damon pulled him down to kiss him. Soon he flipped Ric onto his back to continue their heated make out session.

"I'm serious." Damon said quickly before returning his mouth to Ric's.

* * *

><p>They repeated the previous night's antics before Ric quickly had a shower and got dressed. They left the house an hour after waking up so Ric would be just on time. Damon drove him past his apartment to collect his bag then to school. They didn't kiss goodbye because the parking lot was crowded and Damon overheard Caroline and Elena speaking as he pulled up.<p>

"_What's Damon doing here?" Elena asked confused._

"_Probably terrorizing some girls." Caroline replied then Alaric got out of the car and they both looked surprised._

"_Why would he be dropping off Alaric?" Elena asked._

"_They must be scheming up something." Caroline replied._

Damon chuckled lightly at their comment then waved bye to Ric before Ric ran into the building, considering he was supposed to be there a while ago. Damon had doused Ric with body spray to dim the effects of the blood so Caroline wouldn't guess, considering she was the ultimate gossip. Damon could already feel the effects of Ric being gone because of the blood bond and knew Ric was feeling it too. He drove out of the school to an empty parking lot then got out Alaric's grading folder. He read through the grading guide so he wouldn't fuck it up then got to work. He finished 144 tests and 72 history papers in an hour then drove back to the school. He set them all back in the folder then got out of the car and walked into the school. He felt a little better the closer he got to Alaric's classroom, and was sure that Ric would feel him coming. Sure enough, just as he looked in the window of the door, Alaric turned around to see him. Damon knocked lightly and Ric nodded for him to come in. Damon swaggered into the classroom wearing his sunglasses and leather jacket looking like a rock star and all the girls in class except Caroline were drooling at the sight of him. He lowered his sunglasses to peek over the edge and looked at her.

"Caroline." He smirked then winked at her and she rolled her eyes and had to stop herself from laughing while Damon set the folder down on Ric's desk. "You forgot this." Damon said smoothly to Ric.

"Thanks." Ric nodded then Damon turned and walked out the door again throwing a smirk over his shoulder as he felt Alaric's attraction to him. Ric continued his lesson plan even though it was difficult to think after Damon's close proximity. Once class was over he sat down and opened the grading folder, shocked to find that Damon had graded everything for him instead of just the 20 tests he was supposed to. Then he found a little note.

_More time for me._

Ric laughed out loud. This was one time he appreciated Damon's selfishness and even found himself feeling fluttery at just how much Damon wanted him. Those would have taken him hours if not days to grade. He checked a few randomly just to make sure Damon hadn't given them all F's and was surprised at how thorough he'd been. Everything was perfect. He got his phone out and sent a text to Damon.

_Thanks. All yours. Ric_

Seconds later he got a reply.

_I already knew that ;) See you after school. Damon_

* * *

><p>Damon walked into the boarding house and a song from the radio was stuck in his head. He was grinning like an idiot.<p>

"Are you whistling?" Anna laughed as she intercepted him and Damon smirked.

"Nope." He replied making his way into the living room.

"Yeah, you were." She commented following him.

"Just a song stuck in my head." Damon shrugged.

"Must be that." She grinned knowingly and Damon rolled his eyes.

"If you're just going to mock me, you can go." Damon replied.

"I'll stop." She nodded. "Let's go do something. Everyone's at school." She complained.

"Like what?" Damon asked.

"A few towns over had a go kart track put in." She suggested and Damon cocked an eyebrow. That could be fun.

"I'm in." He grinned. He wasn't picking Ric up until 5pm since there was a staff meeting, much to his annoyance, so he had nothing to do all day. They left and made the short hour drive to the go kart place. He really liked Anna. He could see himself being friends with her. She was easy going and fun, not to mention, completely non-judgemental. They spent the whole day racing go karts and laughing with each other. Both had a fabulous time with the other. Anna had always liked Damon and found him really easy to be around. They made it back to the boarding house just before 4pm and walked in laughing and talking about their day then came to an abrupt halt when they saw Stefan, Bonnie, Elena, Jeremy, Caroline and Tyler sitting in the living room. "Stefan, why are they all here?" Damon asked annoyed.

"We're talking about plans for Klaus and Elijah." Stefan replied and Damon started to laugh.

"Are you kidding me?" Damon asked amused. Bonnie glared at Anna standing behind Damon.

"No." Stefan replied and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Who the hell cares? What do you possibly think you all can do about them? Judgy is the only one who could even make a dent in either of them. The baby vamp and the wolf cub are completely useless against them, not to mention the human doppelganger and mini-Gilbert." Damon said and all of them were shocked at his attitude.

"We need to try." Bonnie said.

"Well, you all have fun with that." Damon said. "Klaus got what he wanted so he isn't a threat any longer." Damon shrugged.

"Wait, you're not going to help us?" Elena asked in disbelief.

"Nope." Damon shook his head. "Let's just say, I'm not going to waste my undead life protecting your asses anymore. I have something much better to do with my time now." He smirked.

"Like what?" Elena asked.

"That would be none of your business." He replied then poured himself a drink. "Now can you all scram and have this little suicide meeting elsewhere?" He asked and Stefan sighed.

"Damon you don't need to be a dick about it." Tyler said and Damon turned his head eerily slowly to stare down the wolf.

"Don't forget, I owe you a bite." Damon smirked evilly and Tyler's eyes widened.

"No you don't, you killed Mason." Tyler said and Damon laughed.

"I killed Mason because he tried to kill me, Stefan and Barbie and was working with Katherine against us." Damon said and Tyler blinked in surprise then turned to Caroline.

"You never told me that." He said to her.

"Ugh. All of you just get out." Damon snapped and they had the sense to look a little scared until Damon's features softened and his head snapped to the door and he grinned happily. Before anyone could say anything about his sudden mood change he was out the door in a flash. Alaric was walking up the drive way and Damon picked him up and threw him over his shoulder then sped into the woods, setting him down once they were about a mile away.

"Woah." Ric blinked when Damon put him down, then he was pinned to a tree.

"I thought I was picking you up at 5?" Damon asked as he pressed himself against Alaric.

"Staff meeting got out early and I got a ride over." He smiled then Damon kissed him.

"I'm so glad you showed up. Stefan was hosting a suicide meeting with all the usual losers." Damon said between kisses.

"The usual losers?" Ric smirked.

"You know, baby vamp, the wolf cub, the doppelganger, mini-Gilbert and the witch." Damon shrugged and went back to kissing him.

"Wait, Tyler is in your house?" Ric asked in disbelief. "Is he crazy?"

"Might be." Damon shrugged.

"What did you do all day?" Ric asked as he brushed some hair off Damon's forehead.

"I went go karting with Anna." Damon chuckled and Ric laughed.

"Sounds fun." He smirked. "It seems I'm dating a teenager." He replied amused.

"You think a teenager can move their tongue like I can?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and Ric shuddered involuntarily.

"You need to stop doing that." Ric laughed.

"Why?" He cocked his head to the side.

"Because, we've been together for like three days." Ric smirked. "We're supposed to still be dating." He said and Damon smirked.

"I'll take you on a date then Mr Saltzman." Damon said mischievously.

* * *

><p>Ric followed Damon back to the boarding house and thankfully the troop had taken Damon's warning to heart and went home. They walked in hand in hand and Stefan smirked.<p>

"So that's why you took off with a grin on your face?" He asked and Damon rolled his eyes while Alaric blushed.

"See from now on, have your suicide meetings elsewhere." Damon warned and Stefan sighed.

"I doubt there will be anymore meetings now." Stefan said.

"Why not?" Ric asked.

"Because, Damon told them all that he would have no part in any of it. They know that Damon is the strongest asset, so none of them feel confident in trying a plan now." Stefan shrugged and Damon smirked.

"Trying to guilt me will get you nowhere." Damon pointed out.

"I know." Stefan nodded. Damon let go of Ric and went forward and slung his arm over Stefan's shoulder.

"Stef, this is a good thing. You would have all just been killed. It's not worth it." Damon said softly.

"But Klaus is dangerous." Stefan replied.

"Klaus has been around for 1000 years and the world is still going strong, I wouldn't worry too much." Damon countered and Stefan conceded that he had a point.

Damon spent a couple of hours with Ric then took him to the Gilbert's since he was supposed to be taking care of them. They agreed that Damon would pick him up at his apartment the following night for a date. Damon kissed him goodbye in the car in case anyone was peeking out at them then Ric left.

* * *

><p>The next day was going to be Stefan's first attempt at feeding fresh without killing. Damon wouldn't let him go back to school until he could handle feeding fresh. They drove for a couple of hours to get away from Mystic Falls in case Stefan accidentally killed who he was feeding from. Damon told him that he wouldn't intervene. Stefan wasn't a baby vamp and he had to learn to force himself to have control. He'd been doing so well with the blood bags already and Damon was sure he could handle it. They stopped the car and waited then someone out for a run appeared.<p>

"Go compel her to stand still and be calm and quiet." Damon instructed and Stefan sped out of the car and did as he was told. Damon walked over. "Now compel her to follow us into the woods." Damon said and Stefan did. They walked for about five minutes before Damon stopped. "Just take a deep breath Stefan and tell her not to worry." Damon said. Stefan followed his instructions. "Are you calm?" Damon asked Stefan who nodded. "Good, now bite gently and drink slowly then stop when I tell you to." Damon said. Stefan stepped closer to the girl standing calmly and quietly. Stefan tilted her head to the side and allowed his face to change. He forced himself to calm down again then he bit her as softly as he could. At first the blood was all consuming but Stefan forced himself to drink slowly regardless. After a few minutes Damon told him to stop. It took Stefan all the strength he had to do so, but he managed. Damon pulled out some gauze and patched up her neck since animal attacks were the last thing they needed attention brought to. "Now compel her to forget." Damon said. Stefan compelled the girl to forget that she'd ever seen them and that she fell and cut her neck but that she would be fine. Stefan ran after Damon and the two of them jumped in the car and drove back to Mystic Falls. "How do you feel?" Damon asked.

"Good." Stefan grinned. "That was really hard though." He admitted.

"I know it's hard." Damon nodded. "It's so much easier just to kill and forget about it, but you don't want to do that, so you need to go the hard way." He said. "But, it'll get easier." Damon added and Stefan could see he was in a bit of a mood.

"I know." Stefan nodded.

"Maybe in a few weeks you'll be able to go feed by yourself." Damon shrugged.

"You think?" Stefan asked surprised.

"Who knows?" Damon smirked and Stefan laughed as the realisation came over him.

"Oh, I see why you're in this little mood." Stefan teased. "You miss Alaric." He chuckled and Damon deadpanned.

"I do not." Damon replied and Stefan laughed harder.

"You so do! You miss your boyfriend!" Stefan exclaimed and Damon rolled his eyes. It hit him then for the first time that he did indeed have a boyfriend. It was kind of strange to think that considering it would have been unusual enough for him to have a girlfriend.

"Please don't call him that." Damon complained.

"Why?" Stefan asked surprised.

"Because, I'm not fifteen years old." Damon replied.

"Manfriend?" Stefan suggested with a chuckle and Damon glared at him.

"No." He said annoyed. "He's... my human." He nodded content.

"You can't introduce him to people as your human." Stefan replied amused.

"And, why not?" Damon asked cocking an eyebrow.

"Because not everyone you speak to is a vampire or knows that you're one." Stefan pointed out.

"Fine... he can be my friend with benefits then." Damon smirked and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"I don't think he thinks that's what's going on between you." Stefan replied.

"It's not, but I'm not calling him my boyfriend or manfriend or whatever other stupid name you come up with." Damon replied.

"Gentleman friend?" Stefan laughed and Damon slammed the breaks on the car.

"Out." Damon pointed.

"What?" Stefan asked confused.

"Get out of my car!" Damon yelled and Stefan laughed.

"Oh, c'mon." Stefan said.

"Do I need to drag you out?" Damon asked then Stefan sighed and got out and Damon drove away leaving Stefan standing at the side of the road, an hour away from Mystic Falls.

* * *

><p>Stefan arrived back at the boarding house a couple of hours later since he didn't have the energy to run at full speed all the way home. He found Damon lounging on the couch with a glass of blood.<p>

"You're a dick!" Stefan snapped when he came in and Damon laughed.

"What took you so long?" Damon smirked and Stefan glared at him.

"I stood there for like 10 minutes expecting you to come back!" Stefan exclaimed and Damon chuckled.

"Like, I would go back." Damon smirked.

"I'm glad you're so amused." Stefan seethed.

"I am." Damon nodded. "Go get yourself some blood and chill out." Damon smirked and Stefan stomped out of the room. Anna came down the stairs then and sat next to Damon.

"What was that about?" She asked and Damon shrugged.

"Stefan pissed me off earlier so I tossed him out of the car and drove away." He replied and she giggled.

"You're terrible." She said with a smile.

"I try." Damon smirked and she laughed.

"What did he do anyway?" She asked.

"I called Alaric his gentleman friend." Stefan said as he came back in the room and Damon glared at him while Anna laughed.

"I would have kicked you out too." She commented and Damon grinned at her.

"See? This is why I like you." Damon said putting an arm around her.

* * *

><p>Alaric was getting ready for his date with Damon at the Gilbert house, before he was going over to his apartment to be picked up. He was dressed in black slacks and a light blue shirt, leaving two buttons undone on the top.<p>

"Alaric?" Elena called from downstairs.

"Yeah?" He called back.

"There's a phone call for you." She said.

"Coming." He replied then hurried down the stairs to the phone. "Hello?" He said into the receiver.

"_Ric?_" Came the male voice.

"Dad?" Ric asked surprised.

"_You need to come home, son._" His dad said in a shaky voice.

"Why? What happened?" Ric asked alarmed.

"_It's your mother._" Ric's dad said in a choked voice. "_She passed away, son._" Ric felt his world tumbling down. He was so very close to his mother. The pain in his chest was searing as he gasped trying to get a breath.

"What... when..." Ric mumbled as he tried to stay steady on his feet.

* * *

><p>Damon was standing talking to Stefan and Anna when he suddenly clutched his chest in pain and gasped. He hadn't felt pain like that in a long time and he knew it could only be Alaric's.<p>

"No!" Damon said panicked and raced out the door and over to the Gilbert house. He went at full speed, as fast as he could and didn't bother knocking, he just flew in the door and found Alaric slumped on the floor against the wall. He raced forward and lifted him up to stand. "What happened?" Damon asked worried, completely ignoring the confused looks from Elena and Jeremy at his sudden appearance since they never saw Alaric call him.

"My mother died." Ric choked and tears started to fall down his face. Damon understood the pain of losing your mother better than anyone and he pulled Alaric into his arms and held him tightly, rubbing his back as Alaric cried into his shoulder. Jeremy and Elena looked at each other wondering when Damon and Ric got that close.

"How?" Damon asked softly as he held onto Ric.

"A heart attack this afternoon." Ric replied shakily.

"What can I do?" Damon whispered to him.

"Can we just go back to the boarding house and get really drunk?" Alaric asked softly between sobs.

"You got it." Damon nodded. "Elena, get me his car keys." Damon instructed and she nodded and brought them over. Damon supported Alaric's weight to the car and helped him in then drove them to the boarding house. They walked inside with Damon's arm around him and went in where Stefan and Anna stood in the hall looking confused and worried.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"Come on." Damon said to Ric, ignoring Stefan, and the two of them went up to Damon's room. Ric undressed himself and got under the covers while Damon went back downstairs to get the booze. He noticed Stefan and Anna still staring at him. "Ric's mother died." Damon said sombrely and both Stefan and Anna's expressions turned to one of pure sorrow. They both understood. Damon raced back upstairs with a couple of bottles and two glasses. He set them down on the bedside table and undressed down to his boxers and t-shirt and got under the covers. He pulled Ric towards him into his chest and wrapped his arms around him then rubbed his arms and back in an attempt to comfort him.

"I told her about you." Ric said after about ten minutes of silence. Damon kissed the top of his head.

"What did she say?" Damon asked softly.

"She said she was happy I found you." Ric replied and Damon was surprised. "I wish she'd gotten to meet you." Ric said.

"I'm not well liked by parents." Damon replied and Ric chuckled.

"My mom was different. I could have even told her that you are a vampire and she would have been cool as a cucumber. She would have loved you." He replied and Damon smiled.

"What was your mother like?" Damon asked.

"A total hippy." Ric smiled. "She lived in her own little world where everyone is sweet and kind and there's no darkness. Honestly, I think she took too many drugs in the sixties." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked.

"She sounds like an awesome lady, if you ask me." Damon replied.

"She was." Alaric nodded. "I need to go home for a while." Alaric said softly and Damon nodded.

"Want me to come with you?" Damon asked as he smoothed Alaric's hair.

"More than anything." Alaric nodded. "But if you come, it'll take away from the fact that my mother just died, since I've never brought home a guy before." He replied.

"I understand." Damon said then kissed his head. "You need time with your family. I can come to the funeral if you want and just be there for you, in the background." Damon replied and Ric smiled up at him.

"Please." He said and Damon leaned down to kiss him.

"Where is it?" Damon asked.

"They live in Bloomington, Indiana." Ric said. "It's on Monday morning."

"I'll be there." Damon promised.


	9. Meeting the Family

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 9

* * *

><p>Alaric left for Indiana the following day and Damon drove him to the airport. He was not looking forward to five days without him but he understood that he had to spend some time with his family. Damon walked him into the airport right up to the departure gate since he compelled them through security. He didn't think Ric should have to go through all that crap when he had other things on his mind.<p>

"Thank you for being so supportive." Alaric said to him when the flight was called to board.

"I remember when my mother died, I didn't have anyone to support me, it's the least I could do for you of all people." Damon said softly and Alaric smiled sadly.

"I'll see you on Sunday." He smiled.

"I'll miss you." Damon said honestly and Ric grinned.

"You know I'll miss you too." Ric replied. "Don't kill anyone while I'm gone." He warned and Damon smirked. Ric knew him so well.

"I'll try." Damon nodded then Ric hugged him. Damon held on tightly, inhaling the scent he wouldn't smell for five days. Ric pulled away then kissed him deeply. Damon stroked his cheek softly, memorising his face. "Call me if you need me." He said in a whisper.

"I'll call you anyway." Ric smiled then turned around and boarded the flight and Damon sighed in annoyance. He didn't want him to leave.

* * *

><p>Damon got back to the boarding house and was glad Anna was there.<p>

"You okay?" She asked him softly.

"Fine." He nodded.

"You'll just miss him?" She asked and he nodded. "Well, you're going up to see him on Sunday, right?" She asked and he nodded again. "Then how about, while he's gone, you and I try to have some fun?" She smiled and Damon smirked. This is exactly why he wanted to be friends with her.

"What did you have in mind?" He asked curiously.

"Whatever." She shrugged. "We can party, or go back to the go karting place, or the movies or see what's happening around Virginia?" She asked.

"Sounds good." He grinned.

"We'll be best buds come Sunday." She giggled and he smirked at her.

"I suppose anything's possible." He shrugged.

* * *

><p>Anna tried her best to make Damon have as much fun as possible and he was, but she noticed that he was still a little gloomy. He was far grumpier than usual and was snapping at everyone he encountered except her all week. He got calls from Ric several times a day and he was always in a little bit of a better mood for a while afterwards. Damon had several realisations about Ric while he was gone. He realised that the teacher had cemented himself in his heart, no matter how short a time they had been together. He realised that he didn't want to hide how he felt any longer. He realised he didn't want to keep them a secret anymore. He realised that he was in love with Alaric Saltzman.<p>

That realisation shook him to the core and all of his old insecurities were playing up. A part of him wanted to run, but another part recognised that if he was this gloomy without him for only a few days, how would he possibly go an eternity without him? So he stayed and waited and grumped and missed Ric. Stefan steered clear of Damon as much as possible, apart from if he needed to feed. Damon didn't want any company except Anna's and he'd even hammered a sign on the front door of the boarding house that said, 'Keep Out – Unstable Vampire Lives Here' in the hopes that anyone that showed up would just leave him alone. He did always have a flair for the dramatics. Liz had chewed him out for that since she came to visit him one day. She'd told him that anyone could just show up at the door but Damon said he didn't care. When she'd badgered him about what was wrong, he eventually folded and told her. She'd been shocked at first but was very supportive and promised not to repeat it to anyone, especially Caroline. She understood that neither man was actually gay, they'd just happened to fall for someone of the same sex.

Damon didn't do well with patience so he started driving to Indiana on the Saturday night instead of the Sunday. The drive that normally took 10 hours or more with traffic, took him only 6 hours because he drove like a madman. He arrived very early on the Sunday morning and could sense Alaric. He checked into a bed and breakfast a few streets away from where he could feel Alaric's presence. He knew that when Alaric woke up, he would be able to feel him too so he waited in his room, happy that he was finally near him again. Shortly after 9am Alaric called him.

"Hello?" Damon answered with a grin.

"_Hey, this might be a strange question, but are you here?_" He asked and Damon laughed.

"I drove up during the night." He confirmed.

"_Thank god! I love my family but I need a break._" He laughed and Damon grinned. "_Where are you?_" He asked.

"Wampler House B&B." Damon smirked.

"_I'll be there in 20._" Alaric said happily then hung up. Damon waited impatiently for every one of those 20 minutes but he sensed Alaric was close and opened his room door. He looked out and when he saw Ric his stomach fluttered and he grinned. Alaric jogged towards him with a smile and Damon pulled him in the room and kissed him passionately. Alaric grinned into the kiss and pulled Damon closer.

"You're never leaving again." Damon said in a bit of a pant when he pulled away and Alaric chuckled.

"I missed you a lot too." He said with a smile. Ric pulled him towards the bed and they lay next to each other as Ric nestled into Damon's chest. Damon didn't care that Alaric's hair was still wet from the obviously rapid shower he had before coming over, he just felt complete again. "How long did it take to drive here?" Alaric asked and Damon shrugged.

"Six hours." Damon replied and Alaric looked shocked.

"Are you joking?" He asked in disbelief.

"I may have driven slightly over the speed limit." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"When did you get here?" He asked.

"Just after 5am." Damon replied as he smoothed Ric's hair with his hand.

"You should have called to wake me up." Ric said.

"You've been through enough without me bothering you at 5am." Damon replied.

"It wouldn't have bothered me at all. I'm thrilled you came early." He smiled and Damon kissed him again. Sure, Damon was horny as usual, but he was happy just to have Ric there, regardless what they did. Ric pulled away and saw Damon's vampire face. "When's the last time you ate?" He asked a little worried. Usually, Damon didn't have a problem controlling it.

"A few days ago." Damon shrugged. "I've really just been drunk since you left." He admitted and Ric smiled. He sat up and pulled his t-shirt over his head then lay back down. "What are you doing?" Damon asked curiously.

"I'm going swimming." Ric said sarcastically. "What do you think I'm doing?" He smirked and Damon chuckled.

"I can wait." He said softly.

"I can't." Ric smirked. "I've been horny as hell without you." He said and Damon looked surprised. Ric wasn't usually that forward.

"I can fix that." Damon cocked an eyebrow then to his surprise; Ric reached forward and unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off him then pushed him down on the bed and got on top of him and started kissing him roughly. Alaric had his own realisations while he was gone about Damon. He'd been nervous and reluctant to let Damon in, but the way Damon had been with him the night his mother died then the fact he'd driven all the way here early just because he missed him, sealed it for Ric. He wasn't nervous about being with him anymore. Damon held onto Ric's sides as they kissed. He wanted to flip Ric over and get to the good stuff but was interested to see what Ric would do so he didn't interfere. Ric rolled onto his side but stayed pressed against Damon, without breaking their kiss. Ric undid Damon's belt buckle and pulled the zip down on his jeans and Damon broke their kiss.

"Ric?" Damon smirked. "Are you sure you're ready to go there?" Damon asked with a smile and Ric nodded. Damon sat up and pulled off his boots and removed his jeans, leaving him in his tight black boxers. Ric undressed down to his boxers too and the two of them got under the covers and rolled all over the bed while they kissed and touched each other's backs and arms. When they were facing each other on their sides, Ric slid his hand down Damon's side until he reached his waistband. Damon could sense how nervous he was so he removed his own boxers, saving Ric from doing it then Ric removed his. Things had been steamy up until that point when things seemed to stop. Damon leaned in and kissed Ric softly and cupped his cheek then looked him in the eyes. "You don't have to be nervous. It's just me." Damon whispered and Ric smiled at how genuine Damon's words were and was sure his heart skipped a beat.

"It would help if we did the blood thing first. I'm always more relaxed after that." Ric whispered back. Damon nodded and allowed his face to change then ran his fingernail roughly against his own neck, creating a small wound. Ric pulled him closer and bent down to the gash on Damon's neck and started to drink. Damon groaned then bit into Rick's neck so they were both feeding at the same time. After a minute or so, Ric started to relax so he decided to go for it. He rubbed circles in Damon's side as he moved closer and closer and eventually felt Damon's cock for the first time. Damon moaned in pleasure and took Rick's cock in return. They stroked each other softly and lazily as they fed from each other. Moments later, with the mixes of pleasure and the feel of each other's emotions, it was too much and they came. Damon pulled away from Ric's wound and kissed him instead. He felt so much for him in that moment, he knew he would have blurted it out if he hadn't been kissing him so he just thought it instead. He loved Ric. Damon pulled Ric closer to him so their chests were touching and their legs were intertwined. "Was that okay?" Ric asked shyly and Damon smiled at him and kissed him.

"Perfect." He nodded.

* * *

><p>The two of them dozed off for a couple of hours in each other's arms and Damon was convinced if he died that day, he would die a happy vampire. He woke up just before noon and Ric was already awake and watching him.<p>

"It's impolite to stare." Damon said without opening his eyes and Ric chuckled.

"I've just never seen you asleep before." Ric said amused.

"What's funny?" Damon cocked an eyebrow and looked up at Alaric.

"You look so... innocent in your sleep." He said softly and Damon smirked.

"I don't think anyone's ever called me that before." Damon replied.

"Don't take this the wrong way, okay?" Ric said and Damon nodded and was curious to what he would say. "When you're awake and dressed and your usual cocky self, you look lethal as hell." Ric smirked. "To see you asleep, it's just... you would never think someone that beautiful could be a murderous vampire." He smiled and Damon laughed.

"I think you've been taking drugs." Damon smirked but he could feel Alaric's emotions and could tell that Ric adored him. "How are things with your family?" Damon asked since they hadn't gotten around to it before.

"It was really tough the first two days but after that we've been catching up and hanging out. I've been helping my dad with mom's things while my brother and sister have been dealing with funeral arrangements and the legalities." He replied.

"How didn't I know that you have a brother and sister?" Damon asked curiously.

"It never came up." Ric shrugged.

"Tell me about them." Damon replied.

"Susan is 45 and married with a 19 year old daughter called Hailey and her husband's called Robert. She's in advertising and he's a doctor. My brother is called Oren and he's 26 years old. He lives in California and is a professional surfer." Ric chuckled and Damon laughed.

"Interesting mix." Damon smirked.

"They all want to meet you." Ric said nervously and Damon looked surprised.

"You told them about me?" He asked.

"Yeah." He nodded.

"What did you say?" Damon asked.

"I said that we've been seeing each other for a few months, considering they won't understand how we got so close otherwise." Ric smirked. Damon was warmed that Ric told his family about him. He'd had every intention to just fade into the background. "You don't have to meet them if you don't want to." Ric said after Damon didn't reply.

"I do." Damon nodded. "I was just surprised you told them. What did you say about me?" He asked.

"I said that you moved to Mystic Falls to be Stefan's guardian since Zach died." Ric smirked and Damon laughed.

"He tried to have me killed first, you know." Damon said.

"I know." He replied. "They're going to be awkward and nosy and ask you far too many questions." Alaric said and Damon grinned.

"I'll tell them a partial truth then." Damon shrugged.

"And what's that?" He asked.

"When they ask what I was doing before that, I'll tell them I was getting my PhD in Business and Economics." He shrugged. "I do have one of those from Harvard." Damon smirked. "It was just in the 90s that I completed it." He smirked.

"You're never going to stop surprising me." Ric smiled fondly. "What other degrees do you have?" He asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"What makes you think that I have any others?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Don't you?" Ric asked with a little grin and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yes." Damon conceded. "A medical degree, a law degree, a forensics degree, a history degree and a palaeontology degree." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"You really like dinosaurs, huh?" Ric asked and Damon nodded. "What was your specialism in your history degree?" He asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"Vikings." He replied and Ric burst out laughing.

"Why?" Ric asked.

"I was bored and in Sweden at the time." Damon smirked. "So you can pick one and I'll tell your family that's what I was doing." He replied with a smirk.

"Business is fine." Ric nodded. "My dad's a business guy so he'll like that." He smirked.

"I could just compel them all to like me." Damon pointed out and Ric chuckled.

"You could... but you won't." Alaric said and Damon smiled at him.

"I know. So what are the dos and don'ts? I'm not exactly the type you take home to meet your family." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"Damon, I know you know how to behave." He replied and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Is that a challenge?" Damon asked and Ric laughed. "Seriously though, so no talking about sex or vampires or death, keep PDA to a minimum and don't be an ass, right?" He asked and Ric laughed.

"Sure, that's fine." He nodded.

"What about Isobel? Will they bring her up?" Damon asked cautiously but Ric seemed unaffected.

"I doubt it. They know that you know that I was married." Ric replied with a shrug.

"What did you tell them about how we met?" Damon asked.

"I told them we met because Stefan's my student, we were friends first then it just progressed." He shrugged. "Are you nervous or something?" Ric laughed.

"I've never done this before." Damon replied softly.

"Well you helped me when I was nervous earlier, so I'll help you through this." Ric smiled and Damon smirked.

"I hardly think me biting you just before we walk in your family's door is going to solve anything." Damon pointed out. "How are you feeling about what happened earlier?" He asked curiously and Ric blushed.

"Well, I liked it." He replied and Damon grinned.

"You're so shy." Damon chuckled. "It's kind of cute actually." He said. They were both still naked and wrapped around each other. Ric playfully smacked his arm.

"I bet I'm going so red right now." He said embarrassed and hid his face on Damon's shoulder, which of course only made Damon pull his face up for a look. "Not fair." Ric sighed.

"You are quite red." Damon smirked. "But you don't have to be embarrassed." He said. "I'll have you out of that in no time. I'm a total horn dog and I've been going way easy on you." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"I figured that." He replied.

"Comes with being a vampire." Damon shrugged. "I could literally have sex for a whole day straight." Damon smirked and Alaric looked stunned.

"You really are going easy on me." Ric laughed.

"Being with you is more important to me than having sex with you." Damon shrugged. "There's no rush." He said. Ric grinned and leaned down to kiss him when Damon suddenly pulled him on top of him and Ric chuckled.

"I'm really not used to being with someone so strong and getting manhandled." He said and Damon smirked and wriggled a little so that their cocks were touching and Ric gasped and hardened.

"Sorry, I got horny again with all the sex talk." Damon smirked and Ric laughed nervously. "What makes you nervous?" Damon asked softly and Ric was taken aback by the question. He forgot that Damon could sense his emotions.

"Uh..." Ric said and was sure he was blushing again.

"You can tell me." Damon said softly as he stroked Ric's cheek.

"It's a lot of things." Ric sighed as he rolled onto his side and Damon faced him.

"Like what?" Damon asked kissing his chest.

"Don't laugh." Ric said and Damon cupped his cheek.

"I wouldn't laugh at you." Damon said sincerely and Ric nodded.

"I'm worried I won't be any good, I'm worried that I'll have no idea what I'm doing and I won't be able to satisfy you." Ric said embarrassed and Damon smiled and kissed him.

"I have a lot to say to that." Damon replied then kissed his neck. "You have no idea how hot you are and how much you turn me on." Damon said then kissed his collarbone. "For me, with you it's so much more than just simple, boring sex; my senses are all heightened with you and every time you touch me it feels incredible." He admitted then kissed his jaw. "The good thing about us both being guys is that you can do to me what you like for yourself." He said then kissed his cheek. "But most of all..." Damon said then softly kissed his lips. "I shouldn't say this to you but I'm going to anyway." Damon replied nervously and Ric looked a little confused for a second.

"Tell me." Ric said and Damon cupped his cheeks and looked him in the eye.

"Most of all... It doesn't matter either way because I love you." Damon said then kissed him again. Ric felt his insecurities wash away with Damon's confession. He knew that Damon wasn't the type to fall in love easily but when he did it was hard and fast. "And because I love you, it doesn't come down to skill or experience for me. It's just the fact that it's you." He said and Ric thought he was going to cry but he made sure he didn't.

"You love me?" Ric asked softly and Damon smirked.

"I do." He nodded.

"I love you too." Ric replied and Damon looked startled. He hadn't expected to hear it in return... He never expected to hear it in return.

"You mean it?" Damon asked cautiously and Ric smiled.

"I mean it. I love you, Damon." Ric replied and Damon kissed him. Ric opened his mouth and explored Damon's softly with his tongue while Damon ran his hand through Ric's hair.

"At the rate we're going we'll be married with three kids by next month." Damon smirked and Ric laughed then they were kissing again.

* * *

><p>Damon had brought nicer clothing with him because it was actually important to him that he made an effort with Ric's family. After they had showered, Damon got dressed in black dress slacks and shoes and wore a dark blue shirt and a dress jacket. He slicked the curls out of his hair with a little gel, sprayed himself with some cologne and brushed his teeth. Alaric was wearing the blue jeans and checkered shirt that he'd showed up wearing. It was just after one in the afternoon when they were finally ready to leave and Damon took out his hip flask and took a quick swig before they left the room, earning a laugh from Ric.<p>

"Don't be nervous, Damon. They are all really easy to get along with." He said kindly.

"Does your dad like whiskey?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. Damon pulled out a wooden box from his travel bag and Ric eyed it curiously.

"What's that for?" Ric asked.

"It's a, 'I'm sorry your wife died and even more sorry that you're being subjected to your son's vampire dick of a boyfriend but maybe this will numb it a bit' present." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"Please don't say that when you give him it." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked.

"I won't." He said. "I need to have a coffee before we go." Damon said. "Is there anywhere here I could get a shot of espresso or something?" He asked.

"Why do you need coffee?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"They'll notice my cold skin if I don't either have coffee or booze and I'm thinking me turning up drunk won't go down so well." Damon replied and Ric laughed.

"There's a Starbucks round the corner." Ric nodded. They walked around the corner hand in hand while Damon carried the whiskey box under his other arm. Damon had two shots of espresso then they walked round to Alaric's father's house.

* * *

><p>"You go first. I'll knock in a few minutes." Damon said quietly.<p>

"Why?" Ric asked curiously.

"Because, you can't invite me in. It has to be someone who lives there." Damon replied. "Go get your dad and tell him I'm just calling to check on Stefan or something. Which I probably should do, actually. I didn't tell him I was leaving." Damon smirked and Ric's jaw dropped.

"You're in Indiana and Stefan doesn't even know?" Ric started to laugh.

"Anna's there." Damon shrugged. "She'll stop him from massacring the town." Damon smirked. "Go ahead, I'll just call Stefan." Damon said.

"Okay." Ric smiled and kissed Damon then walked up to the house and went inside. Damon got his phone out and called Stefan.

"_Where are you? I've been worried sick!_" Stefan answered. Damon noticed Stefan had been calling all day while he was busy with Ric.

"Indiana." Damon replied.

"_What the hell are you doing in Indiana?_" Stefan yelled and Damon smirked.

"I'm about to meet Ric's dad." Damon replied nervously.

"_Attempt to make a good impression, if that's possible._" Stefan said annoyed.

"Aren't you just a ray of sunshine?" Damon asked sarcastically.

"_I've spent the whole day looking for you everywhere! You could have called me back!_" Stefan exclaimed.

"I was busy with Ric." Damon smirked and Stefan sighed.

"_Fine. Send him my best and be polite to the family. Try not to lose your temper._" Stefan said.

"I'm in a great mood, no need to worry about my temper." Damon chuckled.

"_Tell Ric, he's never leaving you with me again if he goes away._" Stefan said and Damon grinned. He had been extra awful the whole time Ric was gone.

"He's already been informed that he isn't leaving again." Damon replied.

"_Good. Everything's fine here. Anna's helping me feed while you're gone._"

"Great. I better go." Damon said and hung up. He took a deep breath and walked to the door and knocked. A man in his late 60s opened the door. He looked a lot like Ric actually except with grey hair. He had a kind face and gentle eyes and Damon could just tell that was Ric's dad.

"You must be, Damon. Come on in." The man smiled and Damon grinned back.

"You must be Mr Saltzman. Thank you. It's very nice to meet you." Damon said and shook the man's hand.

"You too. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances." Mr Saltzman smiled sadly.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Damon said sincerely and he smiled.

"Thank you, Damon. Please, call me Jim." He said and led Damon into the kitchen.

"You have a lovely home." Damon commented because it was. It was large and open plan, tastefully decorated with just the right amount of personal tid bits, without being cluttered. They got to the kitchen and Ric was pouring drinks.

"Thanks, my wife did it all." He smiled.

"I brought you something." Damon said and gave Jim the box.

"You didn't have to do that." He smiled.

"It was my pleasure." Damon replied and Ric raised an eyebrow at Damon that his father didn't see. Ric was amused by Damon being so polite. Jim opened the box to reveal a limited edition whiskey from the 1920s.

"This is wonderful. Thank you so much." Jim smiled.

"Damon, you want a drink?" Ric asked trying not to laugh at Damon's clear awkwardness.

"Thanks." Damon nodded and Ric smirked.

"So, Ric said that you're in Mystic Falls taking care of your younger brother." Jim said and Damon nodded. "What were you doing before that?" He asked and Ric grinned behind his father's back. He wondered how Damon had known that would be the first question his father would ask.

"I had just finished my PhD at Harvard." Damon replied.

"What were you studying?" He asked curiously.

"Business and Economics." Damon replied and suddenly Jim looked very interested.

"What field were you specialising in?"

"International finance and relations." Damon replied and even Ric looked impressed.

"Think you'll go back to that once your brother goes to college?" He asked curiously.

"Being in Mystic Falls has given me some time to think and my priorities have changed a bit. I'd like to stay close to my brother as he's the only family I have left. The international markets include so much travelling, it probably wouldn't leave much time for that, so I've been considering possibly freelancing as a consultant or starting my own business." Damon replied and Jim smiled at him. Damon knew family was important to the Saltzman's, that's why he'd thrown that in.

"That's wonderful, Damon." Jim smiled. "What kind of business are you interested in?"

"Real estate or classic cars." Damon smirked and he wasn't lying. He had been thinking about it.

"You like cars? What do you drive?" Jim asked.

"My baby is a '67 mustang." Damon grinned.

"Sweet." Jim replied. "I was always a fan of mustangs. I had one when Ric was little. My favourite would probably be the '69 E-type Jaguar though." He said and Damon nodded.

"The E-type is a beautiful piece of machinery, my only comment on it would be; it's difficult to find the original parts for it." Damon replied.

"Very true." Jim nodded. "How old are you Damon?" He asked and Ric nearly burst out laughing. He had no idea what Damon would say.

"25." Damon replied. He figured he could pull that off. He could hardly say that he was technically 21 for the last 146 years.

"Here you go." Ric handed him and his father a whiskey each and they clinked their glasses. "Damon, I'll put your jacket away." He said and took the jacket from Damon's arm and left the kitchen.

"You seem like a nice boy, I'm glad my son has you." Jim said quietly and Damon smiled.

"Thank you, I'm glad I have him too." Damon grinned. Damon had to admit that Ric's dad was cool. A short while later, Damon, Ric and Jim were sitting round the dining room table chatting when a young blonde teenager came into the house. She walked into the dining room and Ric smiled at her.

"Hailey, this is Damon." Ric said and Damon looked at her and her jaw dropped.

"No, way. You're Damon?" She asked in disbelief and Ric bit his lip to keep from laughing.

"Nice to meet you, Hailey." Damon said.

"But... you're like ridiculously hot." She said and Damon smirked while Ric and Jim laughed.

"Thanks." Damon nodded to her. She was probably someone Damon would normally have fun with but this was Ric's niece and he refused to find her attractive.

"Can't believe you're dating my uncle... It's true what they say, I guess. All the hot ones are married or gay." She huffed then left the room and Damon couldn't stop himself from laughing.

"Sorry, she was just dumped by her boyfriend a couple of weeks ago. I think she's on the rebound." Ric said amused.

"That's alright." Damon said awkwardly. Then Susan and Robert came in. Susan had shoulder length brown hair and looked like a total soccer mom. Robert looked like a typical over worked doctor with short messy brown hair and glasses.

"Sue, this is Damon." Ric said and she grinned. Damon stood up and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Susan." Damon said politely.

"Hail was right, you are gorgeous." She said and Ric laughed again as did Jim.

"You'll embarrass the poor guy." Jim said and Damon shook Robert's hand. "He's already been verbally assaulted by Hailey." Jim said and Damon smirked as he sat back down next to Ric and Susan and Robert sat on the other side of him.

"I'm sorry about that, Damon." Robert said embarrassed.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled.

"What's your brother's name?" Jim asked curiously.

"Stefan." Damon replied.

"That's an unusual name." He replied.

"I have Italian roots." Damon explained.

"Damon can cook like a professional chef." Ric replied proudly and Damon smirked at him. "Maybe you can show them while you're here?" Ric asked.

"You can't ask him to cook for us." Susan said to Ric.

"I actually kind of love it." Damon replied. "It would be no trouble if you want me to."

"Well, Dana was always the cook of the family so we were going to go out to dinner tonight. We could stay in instead." Jim nodded.

"Great." Damon grinned. "Any requests?" Damon asked.

"You should make the bruschetta and red wine sirloin again." Alaric suggested.

"That does sound amazing." Susan commented.

"Then I'll need to get to a store to get the ingredients." Damon replied.

"I'll take you." Ric said then the two of them made their way to the grocery store. "My dad loves you already." Ric commented.

"You think?" Damon asked.

"As soon as you brought up the cars I knew he would." Ric grinned and Damon smirked.

"He's cool." Damon nodded. "Do you really want the exact same dinner again?" Damon asked curiously.

"There's a reason." Ric laughed. "It was amazing."

"I could change the sauce and make it a whiskey cream sauce." Damon suggested.

"That sounds great too." Ric nodded.

"I'll make some other starters too." Damon said as he thought over what he could make.

* * *

><p>An hour later he was baking bread and profiteroles in the kitchen and putting the meat in a marinade. He had decided to make mushroom and walnut risotto as an alternative to the bruschetta, since there were a lot of them having dinner together. Damon spent the afternoon chatting to Jim and Susan and was fast friends with them. Susan was the type of woman who was the kindest person you would ever meet, yet also had a quick wit and a wicked sense of humour. Damon actually felt really comfortable around Ric's family. He had yet to meet Oren, but Ric assured him that Oren was easy going and liked everyone. Soon it was dinner time and Damon ended up making both roast potatoes and French fries to go with the steak in whiskey cream sauce. Oren had called to say he wouldn't make dinner and would be by later. They all sat down to dinner and everyone praised Damon for his unbelievable cooking and if possible, Jim was even more impressed with his son's boyfriend. After dinner, Damon whipped up a quick chocolate sauce as Ric cleared the plates then he served the profiteroles.<p>

"Seriously, Damon, the cream filling is unbelievable." Susan said.

"The whole dinner was fantastic." Jim commented.

"Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it." Damon smiled. Oren came in the door just as they were finishing the profiteroles.

"Hey, Oren! Come meet Damon." Jim called and Oren came in wearing a goofy grin.

"Hey." Oren said and Damon shook his hand then Damon's face fell and Oren glared at him. "Ric, can I talk to you for a second?" Oren said angrily and Ric looked confused. Damon sighed. This couldn't end well. Ric followed Oren out the door and down the steps but Damon could still hear them. "Ric, are you crazy?" Oren asked.

"What are you talking about?" Ric asked. He had no idea what was going on.

"Your boyfriend's a vampire!" Oren seethed. Ric had never seen Oren so angry, he was usually so laid back about everything and he had no idea how he could know that.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Ric said defending Damon. Damon excused himself from the table and went outside.

"I'm not trying to cause any problems here, wolf boy." Damon said to Oren and Ric's eyes widened.

"You're a werewolf?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"You know about werewolves?" Oren asked surprised.

"Yeah." Ric nodded.

"Why are you dating a vampire?" Oren asked.

"Because, I love him." Ric replied and Oren looked shocked.

"Ric, they're all untrustworthy killers. They can't love. One day he'll have had enough of your blood and he'll kill you." Oren said disgusted.

"I'm right here, you know." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're wrong. You have no idea what you're talking about." Ric said. "Don't make this an issue. We've all been having a really nice night." Ric was worried that his brother would say the wrong thing and Damon would kill him.

"He probably mind-controlled them all." Oren said and Damon sighed and walked over to Ric.

"I think I should go back to the B&B and give you two some time to talk." Damon replied softly.

"No, we were having a great night with my family. Don't let Oren ruin that." Ric replied.

"He's your brother." Damon smiled sadly.

"Just stay for a little while longer. Oren and I can talk about this later." Ric glared at him.

"I can't believe you invited him in the house." Oren shook his head in disbelief.

"Shut up." Ric snapped. "I swear to god, you say anything that I don't like tonight and I'll tell dad about the vase." Ric warned and Oren glared at him.

"You wouldn't." Oren said.

"Watch me." Alaric said then took Damon's hand and dragged him into the house.

"Everything, okay?" Jim asked concerned when they came back in.

"Just Oren being judgemental." Ric replied and Jim and Susan looked horrified as they thought it was because Ric was dating a guy.

"Sorry about that, Damon." Jim said sadly.

"Honestly, it's fine." Damon nodded politely.

"Well, we're certainly glad to have met you." Jim smiled and Damon felt warmed at his admission. "Dana would have loved you." He added.

"From everything Ric's told me about her, I'm sure I would have loved her too." Damon smiled. Oren went straight upstairs when he came back in and Damon overheard him making calls about him and he worried that a wolf pack would be coming for him. About an hour later he wished them all a goodnight and left with Ric. "I have to tell you something." Damon said when they were nearly at the B&B.

"What?" Ric asked worried.

"I heard your brother making calls to other wolves about me." Damon said and Ric gasped, horrified.

"I can't believe he would do that!" Ric said. "What are we going to do?" He asked.

"I'm going to do what he wants. I'll leave." Damon nodded and Ric blinked in surprise.

"You don't have to do that. I'll talk to him and make sure he stops whatever he's planning." Ric said and Damon smiled at him sadly and kissed him.

"I'm not going to let you destroy your relationship with your brother over me." Damon said softly.

"What are you saying?" Ric asked alarmed.

"I'm saying... I'm going to get my stuff and drive back to Mystic Falls tomorrow morning." Damon replied.


	10. Love and Death

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 10

* * *

><p>"Just, don't go anywhere yet." Ric said sadly. "I really want you with me at the funeral. It's going to be hard." Ric said and Damon nodded.<p>

"Alright. Maybe your brother will agree to some sort of truce for the funeral then I can leave after it." Damon suggested.

"You did nothing wrong, Damon." Alaric said sadly. "You were perfect to my family all night and he has no right to be this way to you."

"He is right though. I am a killer." Damon nodded. "That will never change." He added.

"I don't care." Alaric said shaking his head. "I'll be back shortly." Alaric said then kissed him.

"I'll be in the room." Damon nodded then Ric turned and walked back to the house while Damon walked up to his room. Ric was beyond livid at the whole thing. He'd never seen Damon so well behaved as he was with his family and wondered if that's what he was like as a human. Damon totally hit it off with his father and sister especially and Ric could tell that they really liked him. He went into the house and straight up to his brother's room and barged in without knocking.

"We need to talk." Ric said annoyed.

"About what? You're screwing a leech." Oren snapped.

"From my experiences over the last year, wolves are less trustworthy than vampires." Ric replied and Oren's jaw dropped.

"How can you say that?" Oren asked in disbelief.

"Because a werewolf killed me." Ric replied and Oren looked confused. "This ring brings me back to life from supernatural death." He showed him. "And a werewolf stabbed me just because I was in Damon's house." Ric said and Oren gasped.

"Ric, how am I just supposed to accept this?" Oren asked. "My pack hunts vampires."

"Not all vampires are bad." Ric said. "In Mystic Falls, there's a young vampire who is best friends with a young werewolf." He said and Oren looked surprised. "Damon works with the Founder's Council there to kill evil vampires and other supernatural threats. You didn't even give him a chance." Ric said. "I'm in love with him, Oren. I've known him for a year and before we were together he was my best friend. He's a decent guy and the reason he is here? He drove up here from Virginia to support me at mom's funeral. Do you think a vampire who didn't love me, who only gave a crap about my blood would drive 600 miles by himself in 6 hours to support me at my mother's funeral?" Ric asked and Oren looked ashamed of himself.

"No, I guess not." Oren said.

"Would he give me this?" Ric pointed to his vervain pin. "A pin with liquid vervain in the stone so I can't be compelled, if he didn't care?" He asked and Oren's eyes widened.

"I see your point, dude." Oren rolled his eyes.

"Then call off your wolf friends because Damon intends to leave so he won't cause trouble between you and me." Ric said.

"I will." Oren nodded.

"And you're going to go over to the B&B and apologise." Ric said.

"What?" Oren asked. "He's still a bloodsucker."

"And you're still my brother. I'm asking you as my brother. You don't even have to apologise, just talk to him. He's going to be in my life for a long time. It would be better if you weren't enemies." Ric said and Oren huffed.

"Fine." He said. "But it's not a full moon, he's stronger than me."

"He's really old. He'd be stronger than you anyway." Ric chuckled and Oren looked a little afraid. "He's not going to hurt you. I told you, he's a good guy." Ric said then went down the stairs.

"You talk some sense into that boy?" Jim asked Ric.

"Yeah, he's going over to the B&B to talk to Damon." Ric replied.

"You going to tell me what it was about?" Jim asked.

"One day." Ric promised then Oren left the house.

"Is it about what Oren is?" Jim asked quietly and Ric's eyes widened.

"You know?" Ric asked and Jim chuckled.

"I'm his father. Of course I know." He replied. "Is Damon a vampire?" He asked curiously and Ric's jaw dropped.

"How..." Ric blinked.

"He moved a little too fast in the kitchen at one point and then the way Oren didn't like him right away, I just guessed." Jim shrugged. "And he's kind of unnaturally handsome." Ric laughed at that.

"He is." Ric smiled. "Wait, it doesn't bother you?" Ric asked sceptically.

"He was perfectly nice to all of us tonight, you trust him and I think you love him too. I have no reason not to like him." Jim said and Ric hugged his dad.

"Thanks, Dad." Ric said softly.

"I told you when you were little that I'd love you no matter what you do or who you're with. That'll never change." Jim said. "So do you want to tell me the whole truth about everything he told me?" Jim raised an eyebrow and Ric laughed.

"He was 21 when he was turned in 1864, but because of the times, he looks more like 25." Ric said.

"That makes him... 167 years old." Jim blinked in surprise and Ric smiled.

"It does." He chuckled. "He does have a mustang, it's round the corner actually, he is looking after his brother who is also a vampire and he did go to college for a business degree at Harvard in the 90s. He is also thinking about starting a business so it was all mostly true." He nodded.

"I still like him." Jim smirked. "Don't worry." He replied.

* * *

><p>Damon heard a knock at the door and was a little curious as to who it would be since he could sense it wasn't Ric. He opened the door and was surprised to see Oren there.<p>

"Come in." He said and Oren stepped into the room and Damon closed the door.

"So, Ric and I had a chat." Oren said. "I guess I jumped to conclusions." He said.

"Look, I get it." Damon replied. "I can understand that finding out your brother is with a vampire looks bad. I don't blame you for having that reaction." Damon said surprising both of them.

"Ric said that he loves you and he wants you in his life. That's going to just have to be good enough for me." Oren said.

"I won't hurt him." Damon promised. "I won't let anyone else hurt him either." Damon said and Oren nodded in understanding. He could clearly see that Damon cared about his brother.

"Then stay for the funeral." Oren nodded. "Ric needs you."

"Alright." Damon nodded then stuck his hand out. "Start over?" Damon asked and Oren shook his hand.

"You got it." Oren replied with a small smile... He had to admit, Damon wasn't so bad. "But if you hurt him, I'll hunt you down." Oren said and Damon grinned.

"I would expect nothing less." He said and Oren chuckled then walked back to the door.

"Welcome to the family." Oren smirked and Damon grinned.

"Thanks." He said then Oren left. Maybe the wolf wasn't so bad.

* * *

><p>Oren returned to the house and found Ric sitting talking about Damon being a vampire with his father.<p>

"You told him?" Oren asked curiously.

"He guessed." Ric replied. "Is Damon still alive? Or well, undead?" He asked and Jim chuckled.

"Yeah, we're good." Oren nodded.

"What did you say?" Ric asked sceptically.

"I told him if he hurts you, I'll hunt him down." Oren shrugged and Ric's eyes widened. He knew that Damon didn't take kindly to threats.

"What did he say to that?" Jim asked.

"He said he would expect nothing less." Oren smirked and Jim smiled.

"Yeah, I still like him." Jim grinned.

"Is he staying?" Ric asked.

"Why don't you go ask him?" Oren asked rolling his eyes and Jim laughed.

"Go ahead, son. Take your suit with you." Jim said as he figured Ric would spend the night. "Oh and tell him I want to see that car." Jim grinned and Ric chuckled.

"I will." Ric smiled then got his suit and his toothbrush and went to the B&B. Damon opened the door just as he got there and was smiling. Ric kissed him and went into the room and hung up his suit. "Is it cool if I stay with you?" Ric asked and Damon gave him a look that said 'well... duh'. "Did Oren behave?" Ric asked.

"We're cool." Damon nodded and Ric smirked.

"My dad knew what you are all along." Ric said and Damon's jaw dropped. He hadn't been expecting that.

"How?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Apparently you moved supernaturally fast when you were in the kitchen." Ric chuckled.

"What did he say about it?" Damon asked.

"He said he doesn't care, he still likes you and wants to see your car." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"Jim is a legend." Damon smirked. "Did you fill him in?" He asked.

"Yeah, but just your age and that Stefan is a vampire and you went to college in the nineties. He doesn't have to know about Isobel and Klaus and all the rest of the drama." Ric said.

"Okay." Damon nodded. "Can we get naked now?" He smirked and Ric blushed.

"Uh..." He said embarrassed and Damon laughed.

"Come here." Damon said and Ric walked over. Damon pulled him into his arms and kissed him roughly then pushed him down on the bed. He pulled off his own shirt over his head and undid his slacks and took his shoes off while Ric watched him. "See something you like?" Damon smirked.

"I might." Ric replied and Damon grinned and crawled up on top of him.

"And what might you like?" Damon asked in a husky voice and he could feel Ric hardening underneath him.

"Everything." Ric smirked and Damon kissed him.

"And what do you want to do with me?" Damon asked tilting his head.

"Anything." Ric replied and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Really?" Damon asked. "Anything?"

"I love you, I trust you, why not?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled.

"So, you want to fuck me?" Damon asked and Ric's eyes widened.

"Well, we haven't talked about that." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"You can if you want to." Damon nodded. "If we're going to do that, I'd rather you did it to me than I did it to you." He said and Ric looked confused.

"Really? I would have expected you to prefer the other way around." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"You won't hurt me but it will hurt you and I don't want to hurt you." Damon said.

"How will it not hurt you?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"Because of our destructive and violent nature, vampires tend to like a little pain with our pleasure." Damon replied as he playfully bit Ric's ear. "And, I heal in seconds." He replied. "You don't." Damon reminded him.

"You want to do that?" Ric asked shyly and Damon kissed him.

"Like you said, I love you, I trust you, why not?" Damon asked. "It's the only thing I haven't done in my 167 years." Damon smirked. He ran his hand down Ric's face softly and looked into his eyes. "If you want to wait, we wait." He said reassuringly. Ric cupped Damon's cheek and pulled him down to him to kiss him. Damon unbuttoned Ric's shirt while they kissed and Ric sat up slightly allowing Damon to pull his shirt off. Damon then unbuttoned his slacks and slid them down over his hips as they continued kissing. Finally he removed Ric's boxers and his own leaving them both naked and writhing against each other. Damon pulled up the covers to their waists and he pulled Ric close to him then rolled onto his back so that Ric was on top. Ric moved up and down slowly so their cocks rubbed against each other and Damon groaned in pleasure.

"We don't have anything to..." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"Yeah, we do." Damon said then pushed Ric up so he was kneeling. He bent down and took Ric's cock in his mouth and lathered it with his saliva then he lay back down on his back and pulled Ric down with him. He opened his legs to allow Ric to fit between them and then lifted his knees up. "Do it." He said seductively then kissed Ric. Ric lined his cock up to Damon's entrance and pushed in slowly and Damon hissed. Ric stopped immediately as he saw Damon biting his lip. "I'm fine." He said to Ric with a nod.

"Are you sure?" Ric asked concerned and Damon smiled.

"Yes. Keep going." Damon said then kissed him again. Ric pushed in deeper until he was all in. He leaned over Damon on one arm and with his free arm he reached down and grabbed Damon's cock and started to stroke him and Damon groaned. Damon didn't look to be in any more pain so Ric started to thrust lightly in time with his strokes. Ric started going faster and soon he hit Damon's prostate. "Oh, fuck." Damon hissed as he held on to Ric. "Do that again." He said and Ric grinned then Damon wrapped his legs around Ric's back. Rick kept thrusting the same way as he had before while continuing to stroke Damon's cock. "This feels so good." Damon purred. "I might get carried away." He warned and Ric nodded in understanding. He didn't mind if Damon bit him. He kept thrusting against Damon's prostate and Damon couldn't control himself any longer. His face changed and he bit down on Ric's shoulder. Ric noticed that it was a harder and more predatory bite than normal but he couldn't really blame him for getting caught up and he wasn't afraid of him either. Damon came seconds later, clenching around Ric which felt amazing.

"Want me to stop?" Ric asked once Damon was finished but Damon shook his head.

"I'll be back up in seconds." Damon said and Ric looked impressed so he kept going and sure enough, Damon was hard again a few seconds later. He switched arms since he was only human, after all, and stroked Damon again with his other hand. A few minutes later Ric nodded to Damon and Damon understood he was going to cum so he allowed his own build up again. Ric thrust harder and faster and Damon was physically shaking in pleasure. Damon bit him again the second time, releasing Ric's orgasm finally and when he was finished he slumped on top of Damon. He pulled out then rolled to the side and put his arm over Damon's chest.

"That was amazing." Ric said and Damon nodded.

"We're doing that again." Damon smirked then kissed Ric.

"Not right now." Ric mumbled and Damon laughed.

"That's alright, my human." Damon grinned down at Ric then rolled to his side to face him and put his arms around him as their legs mingled together.

"Are you sore?" Ric asked softly.

"No. All healed." Damon smirked. "Speaking of healed, want some blood to heal those bites?" Damon asked.

"Sure." Ric nodded.

"Wrist or neck?" Damon asked.

"Neck." Ric replied and Damon smirked.

"Bite me then." He said. Ric knew better than to start arguing with him so he leaned forward and bit down as hard as he could on Damon's neck and he did manage to create a wound and sucked a little blood before lying back down. "That was hot." Damon smirked. "You should always do that." He replied. "You got me hard again." He chuckled.

"You really are a horn dog." Ric smiled then reached down and grabbed Damon's cock startling Damon.

"I wasn't saying..." Damon started before Ric cut him off with a kiss.

"I know." Ric said and they kissed deeply as Ric got him off. A few minutes later, Damon came again only this time he didn't bite.

"Aren't you less shy now?" Damon smirked and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Maybe a little. I can't be that bad if I got you to cum four times in one day." He pointed out and Damon smirked.

"You're kidding, right?" Damon asked.

"About?" Ric replied confused.

"You're my best." Damon replied and Alaric's jaw dropped. "Yes, I'm being serious."

"How is that even possible?" Alaric asked.

"Because you are the first person I had sex with who actually loves me." Damon replied and Alaric blinked in surprise. "It makes everything better." He said.

"I've turned the great Damon Salvatore into a sap." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, well, tell anyone and I'll still kill you." Damon replied and Ric laughed.

"Sure you will." He said and Damon smirked.

* * *

><p>It was the morning of the funeral and Alaric was nervous. He was heartbroken that his mother was dead and he'd been trying to be okay with that fact since he found out and he really didn't want to have another breakdown at the funeral. But, having a funeral made it all real. It meant that his mother was really dead and that he really would never see her again. Damon seemed to sense his inner turmoil because he took his hand and gave it a light squeeze to show he was there for him no matter what. Alaric would be eternally grateful to Damon for driving all the way up there just to be there for him. He took his strength from that and knew he'd get through it if he had Damon.<p>

They were both dressed in black suits. Damon had a white shirt on and Ric had a light blue shirt on. Because of the way Alaric's mother was, the funeral was outside since she was a nature person. The service was taking place in the church's back garden then she was being buried in the church cemetery. She didn't want a big expensive funeral and asked that instead of flowers being purchased, she requested that a small donation be made instead to a local animal charity she worked with. Damon made a rather generous donation on behalf of him and Ric.

Damon and Ric drove to the church in Damon's car and parked in the parking lot. Damon was wearing his sunglasses as was Alaric though they were for different reasons. Ric took Damon's hand for support as they walked over to where the service was being held. They found Jim and saw he'd saved seats for them beside him and they sat down. The service lasted for about an hour. A few people spoke but instead of giving eulogies, they told funny stories about Dana. It was what she wanted. She wanted people to celebrate that she'd lived, not to mourn her loss. The more he heard about Alaric's mother, the more Damon wished he'd had the chance to meet her. Dana sounded a lot like his own mother. Damon's mother had been a sweet and gentle woman with a love for animals and nature and a kind soul, and his heart ached still at her loss. She had been a bit of a kindred spirit to Damon who was always different than everyone else. He'd gotten his wit and sense of dry humour from his mother.

After the service, they watched the coffin being put in the ground and Alaric found that particularly difficult and Damon held him throughout. Oren had been watching Damon for any sign that he'd been lying but what he saw surprised him to no end. It was painfully obvious that Alaric was his everything and Ric didn't even know it. Oren was glad that Ric had talked him into giving Damon a chance as he might still be a bloodsucker and a killer, but he genuinely adored Ric and that was all that mattered to Oren.

At the end of the funeral, Alaric was a little worse for wear and wanted a drink so Damon and Oren took him to the village bar. Once they were there, Damon lifted Alaric's sunglasses off and brushed away his tears with his thumbs. Oren saw the affectionate little moment and was surprised at the tenderness of it.

"I won't ask you if you're okay, because I know you're not." Damon said softly. "So how about I just ask what kind of whiskey you want." Damon smiled softly and Ric kissed him.

"Bourbon and lots of it." Alaric replied. There was supposed to be a wake but Alaric didn't want to go. He just wanted to be with Damon and his family, but they were stuck with having to go to the wake.

"Coming up." Damon winked then turned to Oren. "Drink?" He asked.

"Sure, I'll have a beer." Oren nodded and Damon left to go to the bar. He returned a few minutes later with two double bourbons and a beer for Oren then sat down beside Ric and put his arm around him.

"The stories people told were great. That's how a funeral should be, I think." Damon said.

"It's what mom wanted." Ric nodded. "I need to get back to Mystic Falls." Ric sighed.

"Why?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"My compassionate leave ends tomorrow. I have to be back on Wednesday." He replied and Damon smirked.

"I'll compel them to give you more time." Damon said like it was obvious.

"That won't be fair, Damon. Everyone only gets a week." Alaric replied.

"Ric, you're only working there for another week anyway. Who cares what's fair?" Damon asked. "Your mother just died, screw the school." Damon said and Oren smirked at him.

"I was wrong about you, dude." Oren chuckled. "I think you and I will be great friends one day." He said and Damon smirked.

"Stranger things have happened." Damon nodded.

"Fine, compel me one extra day then." Ric shrugged after he thought about it. "I'll come back with you in the car if you stay until Wednesday morning." Ric said.

"I'll stay as long as you want." Damon nodded. "But, I have a better idea. Why don't we just say screw Mystic Falls and go to Fiji?" Damon asked and both Ric and Oren laughed.

"Can you even be out in that much sunlight?" Oren asked amused and Damon smirked.

"Yeah, it just doesn't do anything for me. I'm still paler than milk." Damon chuckled.

"As great as that sounds, we have responsibilities." Ric said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"What responsibilities? Elena and Jeremy aren't your kids. Elena will be 18 next month so she can be Jeremy's guardian. Stefan is 163 years old, he can look after himself." Damon said and Ric chuckled. "Yeah, I like this Fiji idea." Damon nodded and Oren laughed.

"Fiji does have great waves, Ric." Oren nodded.

"I'm not going to Fiji." Ric chuckled.

"Okay, buzz kill Bob." Damon quipped and Oren laughed. "Europe?" He asked and Ric laughed.

"We have to go back to Mystic Falls, Damon." Ric said and Damon whined.

"Why?" He complained. "It's so unbelievably boring there. The only thing that ever happens there that is somewhat interesting is the animal attacks and considering most of them were me, not that interesting." Damon said and Ric laughed out loud.

"Why don't you get a job then?" Ric smirked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"I don't need a job. I need to not be bored." Damon said. "There's a difference."

"Well what did you do all day before we got together?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"I had casual sex, got drunk and killed people." Damon said and Oren laughed at his bluntness.

"At least you're honest." Oren smirked.

"He did ask." Damon shrugged.

"What do you mean, you don't need a job?" Ric asked.

"I don't need the money." Damon smirked.

"You can't compel everything." Ric chuckled.

"That's not what I meant. I have more money than I could ever spend." Damon shrugged. "That's why I think we should go to Fiji."

"Are you going to shut up about Fiji?" Ric asked.

"Not till you say yes." Damon smirked and Oren laughed.

"There are sharks there." Ric said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You think I'd let a shark anywhere near you?" Damon asked. "They swim away from me. They sense I'm higher on the food chain." Damon smirked.

"Really?" Ric asked curiously.

"Most animals do." Damon shrugged. "They definitely run away from Stefan." Damon smirked and Ric laughed.

"Who's Stefan?" Oren asked.

"My little brother. He used to be on the animal blood diet." Damon replied and Oren laughed, getting the joke.

"I'm still not going to Fiji." Ric smirked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Well can we at least go on vacation somewhere?" Damon asked.

"Maybe, once Elena turns 18." Ric nodded.

"You really need to start wearing that pin I gave you. How do you know I won't just compel you to go to Fiji?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Because you know I don't want to go." Ric replied and Damon sighed.

"Fine." Damon complained and Oren laughed.

"I'll go to Fiji." He said and both Damon and Ric laughed.

* * *

><p>They spent the Tuesday hanging out with Jim and Oren. Damon even let Jim drive his car. Ric loved that Damon just seemed to fit right in with his family and was surprised at how well Damon and Oren were getting along. Damon had even suggested that he come and visit their pathetic little town. They started driving back to Mystic Falls on the Wednesday morning and Damon was driving fast but not too fast since Ric was in the car. They reached Mystic Falls in about 8 hours and Ric had agreed to stay over at the boarding house since Damon was going to compel the school in the morning. They were nearly there and Damon had been oddly quiet for the last half hour.<p>

"What's wrong?" Alaric asked.

"I just got used to being out in the open with you in Indiana. That's why I didn't want to come back here." Damon said quietly and Ric nodded.

"Friday is the last day of school and graduation is on Monday so we can be out in the open from Monday onwards." He said and Damon nodded.

"If you decide to stay in Mystic Falls, even with the job in Charlottesville, I'm going to buy a house here." Damon said and Ric looked surprised.

"How come?" Ric asked.

"Privacy." Damon shrugged. "With Stefan getting stronger on human blood, it won't be long until he can hear as well as I can." Damon said.

"So, you want to buy a house so we can have sex without your brother hearing?" Ric chuckled.

"Not only that. I like having my own space." He shrugged. "I could even put it in your name so that no vampires but me can get in." He smirked.

"You would love that, wouldn't you?" Ric smirked as they pulled up at the house.

"Oh, yeah." Damon sighed then they got out. Damon picked up their bags and they went inside. Damon was annoyed that his sign had been taken down but figured it was better if Ric didn't know about that.

"I thought you were never coming back." Stefan grinned.

"Considered it." Damon shrugged and Alaric chuckled.

"Hi Stefan." He said.

"How are you doing?" Stefan asked Ric concerned.

"Better." Ric glanced at Damon and Stefan noticed.

"Did Damon behave with your family?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, he and my dad are buds, now." Ric laughed. "Damon even let him drive his car." Ric said and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"I'm not even allowed to drive it." Stefan said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"That's because you don't appreciate her. Jim does." Damon shrugged. "He even found out that I'm a vampire." Damon said and Stefan stared at him in shock.

"And he was okay with it?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"I think his exact words were, 'Damon, you're welcome back here anytime, even without Ric'." Ric said with a smirk and Stefan laughed.

"Only Damon." Stefan chuckled.

"He's already invited over for Thanksgiving." Ric laughed.

"See? I'm irresistible." Damon smirked.

"Anna's been looking forward to you coming back." Stefan said ignoring Damon.

"Where is Annabelle anyway?" Damon asked pouring them all a drink.

"Out on a date with Jeremy." Stefan shrugged.

"What about you? Have you asked Caroline out yet?" Alaric asked.

"No, why would I?" Stefan asked trying to hide his sheer joy at the thought.

"Because, you want to sit and kiss her in a tree." Damon replied and Ric laughed.


	11. Tolerance

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 11

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><p>Damon drove Ric to school the next morning and went in to compel the Principal into adding an extra day to Ric's compassionate leave. He also added that Ric should get an excellent reference for when he leaves. Damon was just leaving the school when he bumped into Caroline.<p>

"Hey, where have you been?" She asked curiously. Everyone had noticed that he was gone. "We were all scared that you left." She said and Damon smirked.

"I didn't think you would care if I left, Barbie." Damon said and she rolled her eyes.

"I would. I still like you even if you're an ass most of the time." She shrugged and Damon smiled at her.

"You know, my little brother is quite taken with you." Damon said and Caroline looked truly shocked.

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"I believe your generation calls it a crush." Damon replied and she smiled widely.

"Really?" She asked happily and Damon chuckled. Obviously it was returned.

"Yes, really." Damon nodded.

"It wouldn't be weird though, right?" She asked motioning between them and Damon smirked.

"No, it would be nice for him to find someone that makes him happy." Damon smiled.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" She asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"Because, my dear, I've caught the love bug." Damon smirked then disappeared, leaving Caroline stunned. She was also extremely curious as to who Damon was in love with since he'd been AWOL and nowhere near Elena so it couldn't be her...

* * *

><p>Caroline showed up at the boarding house that night to see Stefan since he wasn't back at school yet. She walked in and found Damon sitting on the couch next to Alaric watching a horror movie, drinking whiskey.<p>

"Hey." She smiled when she came in.

"Hi, Caroline." Ric smiled and Damon nodded to her.

"Stefan's in his room. Go on up." Damon said.

"Thanks." She smiled then sped up the stairs.

"Think she noticed?" Ric whispered and Damon laughed.

"No, I really don't." Damon smirked. They'd been holding hands and Caroline didn't even notice. She knocked on Stefan's door and he opened it with a grin.

"Hey." He smiled at her and of course Damon was listening.

"Hey, how are you? I've missed you at school." She said and he ushered her into his room and she sat down on the bed.

"Doing better." He nodded. "I've missed you too." Stefan said and she grinned at him.

"I like you Stefan." She blurted and he looked surprised before a huge grin spread across his face.

"I like you too." He smiled.

"So are you going to kiss me or what?" She asked and he laughed as did Damon. She was blunt. Damon liked that.

"Yeah, I am." Stefan nodded then sped forward and captured her lips in their first kiss. Downstairs Damon was smirking.

"What's going on?" Alaric asked curiously.

"They're making out." Damon replied with a chuckle.

"It's about time." Alaric laughed and Damon leaned over and kissed him. "We should probably tell her." Ric said and Damon shrugged.

"Let's just stick to the plan." Damon nodded. Caroline left shortly after Stefan asked her to go on a date with him. She had agreed of course and they arranged it for the next night which was the last day of school so they were going to the Grill party together.

* * *

><p>It was Friday afternoon and Damon was waiting for Ric in the parking lot. There was a final staff meeting about graduation so Damon was picking him up at 5pm. He was parked facing away from the school with his back to the front entrance as he listened to the radio. It was a gorgeous day so the top was down and he was looking forward to seeing Ric. The parking lot was dead and Damon was determined to maul him a little when he saw him. He didn't like being away from him all day but Ric was determined to have a job, much to Damon's annoyance. It wasn't long before Ric showed up and got into the passenger seat. Damon grinned at him and they kissed each other.<p>

"Oh my god!" They heard and pulled away to look behind them. There stood Elena, Caroline, Matt and Tyler with their mouths open, staring at them in shock. Damon hadn't even heard them, he was that excited about seeing Ric.

"Cat's out of the bag." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled. He put the car in reverse and started to drive away.

"Damon's dating Ric?" Caroline asked in disbelief.

"I did not see that coming." Tyler chuckled.

"But..." Elena said, blinking in surprise.

"I can't believe Mr Saltzman was a fag all along." Matt said disgusted then they all heard the screech of a break being slammed. A furious looking Damon jumped out of the car and before they even saw him move, Matt was slammed against the school wall by the throat with Damon's face fully vamped out inches away from Matt's.

"Go ahead and say that again." Damon dared Matt who looked truly terrified. Meanwhile Alaric was getting out of the car and running over but he obviously was only human. "So, you have nothing to say now?" Damon asked him and none of them had ever seen him so vicious and were too terrified to intervene. Matt shook his head no in fear. "You ever feel like saying anything like that about Ric again, just remember that I'm a psychopathic mass murderer and I have no problem literally ripping you into pieces, Mutt."

"Damon." Caroline pleaded and he snapped his head to her.

"You really want to get involved, Barbie?" Damon snapped and she shook her head.

"Damon!" Ric called and they watched as Damon visibly softened his features. Ric reached Damon and put his hand on his shoulder. "Who cares what he said, Damon? C'mon, let's go." He said and Damon let go of Matt.

"The guy you called a fag, just saved your pathetic life." Damon said then reached down and snapped Matt's arm and he screamed in pain. "Next time, I'll break your fucking neck... Just like I broke your sister's." Damon smirked then walked back to the car with Ric, got in and drove away. Caroline kneeled down next to Matt and looked at his arm which was at an unnatural angle.

"Are you nuts?" She asked Matt.

"He just snapped my arm and you want to know if I'm nuts?" Matt asked in disbelief as tears of pain rolled down his face.

"I can't believe he did that." Elena said utterly shocked. "Are you okay?"

"No, I need to go to the hospital." Matt seethed. Caroline bit into her wrist and offered it to him.

"It'll heal in a few minutes if you drink." She said to him and he wanted to argue but the pain was blinding so he drank. He sat on the ground and they watched as his arm knitted together. When he was healed, his arm was still tender and sore but at least it wasn't broken anymore.

"Thanks." Matt said to Caroline.

"Now that you're healed, I just want to remind you that my dad's gay and if I ever hear you call anyone a fag again, I will tell Damon." She snapped then turned and left.

"Not cool, man." Tyler said and followed Caroline, leaving Elena and Matt.

"It was a horrible thing to say but he should have just ignored you, not hurt you like that." Elena said as she helped him up.

* * *

><p>Damon and Alaric were quiet as Damon drove them back to the boarding house.<p>

"Damon, you can't just snap people's arms every time they say something." Ric said softly and Damon glared at him.

"How can you defend him?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"I'm not defending him. You don't think that he hurt me by saying that? He did. But there are plenty of intolerant people out there, if we're going to be together, we just have to get used to it and ignore it." Ric said.

"I could just kill them all then we won't have a problem with intolerance." Damon muttered.

"Free speech, Damon. People can say whatever they want to." Alaric sighed. "I thought you didn't care what people thought of you?"

"I don't. But he didn't call me that, he called you that. If he called me that I would have just winked at him and made him uncomfortable." Damon shrugged. "Hopefully, I scared him enough that he'll have the sense never to say it again." Damon said.

"Have you calmed down yet?" Ric asked.

"No. I need to go kill something." Damon replied and Ric sighed.

"Why don't we just go have a drink instead?" Ric asked. Damon didn't reply because the monster came out and Ric just didn't understand that it wasn't as easy as that to just put it away. They got to the boarding house and went inside and Stefan noticed Damon's mood immediately. He hadn't been in a mood like that in a very long time. He looked positively murderous and unstable.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"Donovan called Ric a fag." Damon deadpanned and Stefan was instantly furious.

"He did what?" Stefan snapped.

"It doesn't matter." Ric said trying to calm them both.

"Yes, it does. Fucking dick." Stefan said angrily. "You didn't kill him did you?" Stefan asked Damon but he didn't sound too concerned about Matt's welfare.

"Ric stopped me." Damon said and Stefan then understood why he was so riled up.

"Come on, let's go fight." Stefan said and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"You sure? I'm rather livid." Damon said and Stefan nodded.

"You need to get it out. It's not safe for anyone if you don't." Stefan said and Damon nodded then the two of them sped out the door leaving Ric particularly confused. They stopped in the woods and Damon punched Stefan in the face then their fight started. They beat the crap out of each other for about fifteen minutes until they ended up both lying on the ground staring up at the sky. Damon started to laugh.

"I love you, Stef. You're a good brother." Damon said and Stefan laughed.

"Feel better?" He asked.

"Much." Damon nodded. "If you ever need it sometime, let me know. It was fun." Damon smirked.

"I forgot how much fun a good fight can be." Stefan nodded. "I can't believe Matt said that." Stefan replied.

"I broke his arm." Damon said and Stefan nodded.

"What if Ric hadn't been there?" Stefan asked.

"I would have killed him." Damon replied softly. "Barbie probably gave him blood to heal him though."

"Don't turn him." Stefan said.

"I thought about it. If I turned him I could torture him for a _long_ time." Damon smirked. "But now that I'm out of my rage, the broken arm was enough. He was completely terrified. I think he learned his lesson." Damon said.

"Let's go back, Alaric is probably really confused." Stefan chuckled and Damon smirked as they stood up and walked back to the house.

"He'll understand soon enough." Damon shrugged and Stefan cocked an eyebrow.

"You'll turn him?" Stefan asked curiously.

"If he wants to." Damon nodded.

"If he doesn't?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Then I'll be with him for the rest of his life." Damon replied.

"Even when he's old?" Stefan smiled.

"I won't care if he's 90 and has no leg, he'll still be Ric." Damon shrugged.

"I've never seen you this in love before." Stefan replied softly and Damon smirked.

"That's because I haven't been this in love before." Damon replied then the two of them sped back to the house where Ric stood waiting for them outside. They came out of the tree line and Ric gasped. They were both covered in blood and their clothes were ripped to shreds.

"Oh my god!" Ric exclaimed. "What the hell happened?" He asked and the brothers smirked at each other.

"We let out our monsters." Damon shrugged. "It was fun." He smirked.

"You're weird." Ric said and the brothers laughed.

* * *

><p>Damon showered and got dressed then went down stairs to find Caroline sitting across from Ric.<p>

"Barbie." Damon nodded to her.

"Hey, you alright?" She asked. Damon had been expecting her to yell at him.

"Peachy." Damon replied. "Take it you gave Mutt blood?" He asked as he sat down next to her.

"Yeah. The last thing you need is him tattling to my mother." Caroline replied and Damon nodded.

"I didn't think of that." Damon conceded.

"See? I'm not totally useless." She smiled at him and he felt badly for saying that.

"I didn't mean that." Damon said to her and she blinked in surprise. "Sorry." He said and she beamed at him.

"It's alright. I'm used to you." She winked and he laughed as did Ric.

"What brings you by?" Damon asked as he leaned back to lounge across the couch on his side.

"I just came to tell you that I took your side after you left. I told Matt if he ever says that word around me again, I would tell you." She replied and Damon's eyes widened. He had no idea how he had gotten such loyalty from her but he was impressed and warmed by it.

"Thanks, Barbie." Damon smirked. Damon knew that her dad was gay and she loved him and was fiercely protective of him, so she would have been offended too.

"You're welcome." She smiled. "How long has this been going on?" Caroline asked curiously and Damon laughed.

"You just came for gossip, didn't you?" Damon asked.

"Maybe a little." She smirked.

"A few weeks." Ric replied.

"I didn't even know either of you were bisexual." She said and Damon smirked.

"We aren't." He said. "We're both straight." He said and Ric chuckled.

"So it's just one of those things?" She smiled fondly at Damon.

"I guess you could say that." Damon shrugged.

"Where were you really when you weren't here?" Caroline cocked an eyebrow.

"He was meeting my family." Ric smiled. "My mother died and he came up for the funeral."

"I'm so sorry about that." Caroline said as she hadn't known that. "How'd that go?" She asked curiously.

"They're awesome." Damon smiled. "Ric's dad knows I'm a vampire too."

"That's great." Caroline smiled. "It's nice you don't have to hide that." She said.

"It is." Damon nodded. "Isn't your date with Steffy tonight?" He asked and Caroline laughed.

"Yeah, he's just getting cleaned up after your fight." She replied.

"You need to learn to fight." Damon pointed out as he thought of it. "I should train you." He said as he thought about it.

"Really?" She asked excited. "That would be amazing."

"We start tomorrow." Damon nodded. "So come by when you're ready tomorrow." He replied.

"I will." She grinned then Stefan came down in black slacks and a dark green shirt, looking dapper. "You look great." Caroline smiled at him.

"Thanks." He grinned. He'd already told her when she showed up that she looked beautiful in her dark blue dress. "You ready?" He asked and she nodded.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Damon smirked and Caroline laughed.

"Is there anything you wouldn't do?" Caroline asked curiously.

"Probably not." Damon shrugged.

"Have fun." Ric smiled at them.

"We will." Caroline grinned then the two of them left.

"I'm exhausted." Damon smirked.

"From the fight?" Ric asked still sitting across from him.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded and closed his eyes then shuffled down to lie on the couch.

"You want me to head home and give you some time to relax?" Ric asked and Damon opened his eyes and turned to look at him.

"I'm not that tired." He smirked. "Why don't you come over and lie with me?" Damon suggested and patted his chest.

"That won't result in any resting." Ric smirked and Damon laughed.

"How do you know that isn't my endgame?" Damon replied and Ric laughed. He stood up and went over to Damon and lay down on top of him. "Mmm. Much better." Damon said closing his eyes again. "I'll go get some blood in a minute then we can take this upstairs." He mumbled.

"Take blood from me then." Ric suggested and Damon opened his eyes.

"You're far too comfortable with me feeding on you." Damon pointed out. "Vampires are supposed to be scary." Damon replied.

"And you are." Ric chuckled. "But I like being able to give you something that keeps you alive. I guess in a weird way, it's kind of like how you enjoy cooking for me." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked.

"Alright, I'll feed on you, if you bite me back." Damon said.

"Deal." Ric said and leaned over Damon to kiss him. Damon pulled him closer while they continued kissing. Ric pulled away and took off his shirt while Damon did the same. Ric leaned back down and kissed Damon's neck allowing the vampire access to his own. Damon's face change and he bit into Ric then Ric bit back. The two of them fed from each other as they writhed against each other and soon Damon was reaching down to pull Ric's pants off then his own. Damon rolled them on to the floor, landing with him on the bottom so Ric wouldn't be hurt and they continued touching and kissing while their wounds healed. Damon wrapped his legs around Ric's back indicating what he wanted without saying anything when there was a knock at the door. Damon pulled away and snarled. "It might be important." Ric said and Damon rolled his eyes. Ric let him up and Damon covered himself with a cushion and went to the door. He was stark naked with only a small square cushion covering him and Ric laughed. Damon opened the door to find Bonnie standing there and her jaw dropped when she took in his naked appearance and the blood on his neck.

"What?" Damon snapped. "I'm busy."

"Who comes to the door naked?" She asked in disbelief.

"I have a cushion." He pointed and she laughed. "Do you have any idea how rarely Stefan's been out recently? I'm taking advantage of the opportunity!" Damon exclaimed. "What do you want?" He asked.

"I heard you broke Matt's arm." She said seriously and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Barbie healed him. He's fine." Damon said and Bonnie narrowed his eyes.

"You still hurt an innocent." Bonnie said.

"Your threat was one drop of blood. I spilled no blood." Damon pointed out. "And and I didn't peg you as a bigot." He said and Bonnie looked confused.

"I'm not a bigot." She said offended.

"Clearly you are if you're taking his side." Damon replied annoyed.

"He said you attacked him for no reason!" Bonnie exclaimed. "That's why I came here! To find out what the hell is going on."

"No reason?" Damon asked in disbelief. "Fine, you want to know?" Damon snapped. "I'm with Ric and Matt called him a fag." Damon said and Bonnie's eyes widened.

"Wait, you and Alaric are together? As in a couple?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Damon said seriously.

"Well, I didn't see that one coming... So what exactly happened?" Bonnie asked as she processed that information.

"I was picking Ric up at school and I kissed him when he got to the car. I didn't hear Caroline, Elena, Lockwood and Mutt coming out and they saw us. I drove away then Mutt said he couldn't believe Mr Saltzman was a fag all along in a disgusted voice and I snapped." Damon explained and Bonnie gasped. "He can say whatever the hell he wants about me but I'm never going to let anyone hurt Ric no matter who they are. So if you want to do something about it, go ahead, if not, go away so I can get laid." Damon said.

"That was a terrible thing to say but you could have just yelled at him. You didn't have to break his arm." Bonnie said; her anger deflating. Even she had to admit, Matt was an idiot for saying that... Especially in Damon's hearing range.

"The little redneck prick is lucky I didn't snap his neck." Damon seethed. "This way maybe he learned a lesson." Damon said and Bonnie sighed.

"Damon, you're going to get intolerance everywhere you go, believe me, I know. You can't just kill everyone." She said.

"We'll see." Damon shrugged and she rolled her eyes. Clearly, she wasn't getting through to him.

"Just attempt to behave, please." She said and he smirked at her. "Bye, Damon. Have fun." She winked then left. Damon was surprised that she didn't even give him an aneurism. He waved at her as she drove away and she laughed at the sight of him wearing only a cushion then he went back inside and locked the door.

"Oh, Mr Saltzman?" Damon called as he walked back in and Ric looked up. "Where were we?" He smirked then tossed the cushion across the room and Ric chuckled.

"Want to go upstairs?" Ric asked and Damon cocked his eyebrow.

"No, the decor in this room is greatly improved by your nakedness." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"You're a strange vampire." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"You know you love me anyway." Damon pointed out and Ric smiled.

"Yeah, I do." He chuckled.

"Oh, I forgot. I bought something today." He smirked then raced upstairs and was back in a few seconds holding a bottle of lubricant and Ric blushed.

"That'll help." Ric nodded. Damon could tell that he was nervous again so he kneeled down and crawled on top of him and lay his head on Ric's chest and stared up at him.

"I would kill for you, you know." Damon said softly and Ric smiled.

"You would kill anyway." Ric chuckled but Damon's face stayed soft.

"Fair enough." Damon said. "Then, I would die for you." Damon added and Ric blinked in surprise.

"Damon, don't be silly." Ric said. Damon lifted his head so that he was facing Ric.

"You don't seem to understand how important you are to me. Vampire emotions are heightened dramatically in comparison to human emotions. I'm in love with you and that makes it all consuming. You're in almost every thought I have and I can't get enough of you. When vampires love it's probably at an unhealthy amount. I actually feel bad for you because of how much I love you. I'm completely at your mercy." Damon said softly. Ric's breath hitched. He had never had anyone love him so completely and it frightened him a little. He didn't know if he could live up to that. "I know it's a lot. You don't have to say anything back. I just wanted you to know that you never have to be self conscious or nervous about anything when you're around me, I love you just as you are." Damon said. Ric reached up and ran his hand through Damon's hair.

"Damon, I'm a simple guy. I like simple things and I've had a fairly simple life. But how I feel for you is far from simple." Ric said. "It scares me how much you're ingrained in me. You've changed me." Ric said and Damon kissed him. "I'm just worried that soon enough you'll see that I'm not enough for you." He said and Damon smiled.

"I'll never leave you unless you ask me to." Damon replied. "That I know for sure."

"Why would I ask you to?" Ric asked confused.

"You might wake up one day and decide you want to be a father or with a woman or you just want vampires out of your life, you might ask me then." Damon replied kissing his neck then Ric flipped them over so that Damon was pinned to the floor.

"I don't think so." Ric smirked then the two of them were kissing again when suddenly the door of the boarding house opened and Damon raced up covering himself with the cushion again and running into the hall. He came face to face with Stefan and Caroline and he smirked at them as they burst out laughing at his undressed state.

"Ugh... I'm never going to get laid. You might want to go back outside for a minute." Damon suggested.

"We've been gone for like five minutes." Caroline giggled and Damon shrugged.

"Stefan doesn't leave often." Damon smirked. "I thought you were on a date?" He asked annoyed.

"We are. I just forgot my wallet." Stefan said amused. Damon didn't realise it but his hair was sticking up all over the place.

"Why do you have blood on your neck?" Caroline asked confused and Damon smirked while Stefan just looked embarrassed.

"Ric's a biter." Damon grinned and Caroline giggled nervously. "Are you going to go back outside so we can move things upstairs or what?" Damon sighed.

"Yeah." Stefan said awkwardly. "Just yell when I can come in."

"Whatever. Out." Damon pointed with his free hand. They shuffled back out and closed the door. Damon walked back through and saw Ric was pulling on his slacks. "Why are you getting dressed?" Damon pouted and Ric laughed.

"Because we need to go upstairs. Clearly we weren't destined to have sex in here." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled.

"Let's go." Damon nodded. He picked up the lubricant and the two of them walked up to his room. Damon didn't bother getting redressed and his clothes were still scattered all over the living room. "Hurry up, Stef!" Damon yelled as he closed the door to his room then turned to Ric. "I swear to god I don't care if the Sheriff turns up next, I'm getting laid now." Damon said and Ric laughed while he undressed and slid under the covers on Damon's bed. Before Ric could register any movement, Damon was under the covers and on top of him. Ric blinked in surprise and Damon smirked at him.

"Are they still here?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shook his head.

"No, Stefan didn't want to hear anything." Damon chuckled and Ric smiled up at him.

"Good." Ric smirked then leaned up to kiss Damon. They kissed passionately then Damon flipped them over so he was on his back. Damon reached over and grabbed the lubricant and poured some into his hand before rubbing it on Alaric's cock. "Are you sure?" Ric asked and Damon smirked.

"This time I know what to expect." Damon replied. Alaric reached down and hooked Damon's legs onto his back then started to push in. Damon made a face at the pain and Alaric slowed down until Damon shot him a look that said he was fine and not to stop. Alaric remembered what Damon liked from last time and made sure to do that. Neither lasted as long this time, since they kept being interrupted. When they were finished they lay in silence next to each other for a while.

"Did it hurt as much this time?" Ric asked quietly.

"It'll be the same every time." Damon shrugged and Ric blinked in surprise.

"Next time you can try it." Ric said and Damon looked over at him.

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Because, after the pain goes away, you seem to like it." Ric replied.

"I don't think the pain will go away completely for you." Damon replied.

"Well you can give me some of your blood after then." He shrugged.

"Only if you promise you'll stop me if it hurts too much." Damon said.

"Okay." Ric nodded. "Oh, by the way, I spoke to Elena. She wants to take over as Jeremy's guardian when she turns 18." Ric said and Damon grinned.

"So, we can move away from this hell hole?" Damon asked excited and Ric laughed.

"Sure." Ric said.

"Can we go to Fiji?" Damon asked and Ric sighed.

"Shut up about Fiji already." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"I'll take you anywhere in the world you want to go." Damon said and Alaric smiled.

"Anywhere?" Ric asked curiously and Damon nodded. He didn't care where he was, as long as Ric was with him.

"Australia or New Zealand." Ric replied and Damon smiled.

"Why don't we do both?" He asked. "We have seven weeks between Elena's birthday and your new job starting. We could do Oz for three weeks, New Zealand for two then have a week somewhere like Tasmania." He smirked.

"Are you being serious?" Ric asked.

"You want to go, we go." Damon replied with a shrug. "Unless you think you'll get sick of me." He smirked and Ric laughed.

"That'll never happen." Ric smirked.

"Then down under we go." Damon grinned. "I'll get everything taken care of." He smiled.

"I'll need to check my finances, Damon. Six weeks is a long vacation." He said and Damon looked at him like he was crazy.

"Don't be ridiculous. Like I said, I'll take care of it." Damon said and Ric gaped at him.

"You can't pay for all of that." Ric said in disbelief.

"Sure, I can. Don't worry about it." Damon shrugged.

"Damon." Ric said.

"Please don't make money an issue between us, Ric. I invested wisely in a bunch of companies over the years and I guarantee you, we will never have to worry about money, even if we live to be 10000 years old." Damon replied. "Money means nothing to me. I'd give you all of it if you wanted it." He shrugged. "Honestly, we don't know what's going to happen in a year or ten years, so if we want to go on vacation we do it." Damon said. "Please?" He asked and Ric sighed.

"Fine." Ric huffed and Damon grinned. "What did you invest in?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"I invested in Sony in 1947 and I still have 10% shares." Damon smirked and Ric's jaw dropped.

"You weren't kidding." Ric said.

"I wasn't kidding." Damon nodded.

* * *

><p><strong>Someone close to me was subjected to severe intolerance because of his sexuality and it horrified me so I wanted to address it here. I think 'fag' is a horrible word and should never be used.<strong>

**The saying 'Sticks and Stones' may be a good thing to teach kids but words can still hurt, especially when they are used to hurt someone regarding something that they can't control.**


	12. Trust and Friendship

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 12

_Evala: I shamelessly stole a line I loved from your review! You'll know which one lol_

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><p>It was Monday, the day of high school graduation. Damon was at the ceremony to see Stefan graduate. He'd never been to any of his other graduations and he was feeling all sappy because of Ric, so he decided to go see his brother graduate. He even bought him a graduation present. Ric and Damon ducked out early, went to make a dinner reservation at the next town over for them, Stefan and Caroline then drove back to the boarding house for a little afternoon fun. Before Ric was even out of the car, Damon rushed him and kissed him. The two of them started pulling at each other's ties and suit jackets as they almost fell in the door of the boarding house. Damon got so carried away he accidentally tore Ric's jacket sleeve off.<p>

"Damon! That was my favourite suit." Ric mumbled between kisses as they fell against the walls of the hallway on their way to the living room.

"Sorry." Damon mumbled as he tore open Ric's shirt and the buttons flew everywhere. They collided against the walls and the banister of the stairs as they continued kissing and managed to get each other's shirts off. "Can't wait." Damon said and bit into Ric's neck just as Ric opened his eyes and saw everyone watching them in disbelief.

"Uh..." Ric said embarrassed. "Damon?" He nudged him to stop feeding from him. Damon pulled his head to look up at Ric.

"What?" Damon asked confused and Ric pointed. Damon turned his head around, still vamped out with a trickle of blood rolling down his chin to see Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, Bonnie, Anna, Tyler and Elena staring at them wide eyed. Damon smirked at them then turned back to look at Ric. "Just ignore them and they'll go away." Damon shrugged and Caroline giggled. Ric was mortified considering he was standing in front of his students with no shirt on and a big bite mark on his neck. He walked out of the room and went upstairs embarrassed, whereas Damon couldn't care less. He still hadn't returned his human face yet so he looked extra monstrous with the blood down his chin. "Stefan, why are they all here?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Planning a party." Stefan replied amused.

"Isn't anyone else going to bring up the fact that Damon and Alaric were just all over each other? And Damon bit him?" Jeremy asked in disbelief.

"First of all, don't worry, he bites back." Damon smirked at Jeremy who blushed. "Second, are you like the only one who didn't know?" Damon asked amused.

"You all knew?" He asked and they nodded.

"Damon, shouldn't you go put a shirt on?" Stefan asked.

"Why? It would just be coming off again any minute." Damon smirked. "Speaking of which. I'm going to go get laid. Loudly. I'm sure all of you vampires will just _love_ that." He winked then sped out of the room. He returned about a minute later with a t-shirt on.

"Thought you were going to get laid." Anna smirked.

"Mr Embarrassed isn't in the mood anymore." Damon pouted and Anna and Caroline laughed. "Might as well give you your graduation present, Stef." He shrugged and Stefan looked surprised.

"You got me a present?" He asked in disbelief and Damon smirked.

"Blame Ric. It was his idea." He said as he walked over to his drinks cabinet and pulled out a little black box. "C'mere." Damon said and Stefan walked over to him. Damon stood behind him and covered his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"It's a surprise." Damon smirked and led him out the back door to the garage. The rest of them followed, curious as to what Damon would get Stefan. "You ready?" Damon asked when they were there.

"Uh... sure." Stefan replied and Damon uncovered his eyes and he gasped. "You got me my Ferrari!" Stefan yelled and Damon grinned. It was a Ferrari 599 GTO in black... Stefan's dream car.

"You wouldn't shut up about the stupid thing." Damon shrugged then handed him the box. "Keys." He said when Stefan looked at him quizzically. Abruptly Stefan hugged him and Damon looked surprised. He patted his back and rolled his eyes.

"Okay, okay." Damon said in a chuckle. "Go drive the thing." He nudged Stefan towards it.

"Want to come?" Stefan grinned at Damon.

"No, take mini-Gilbert. He looks like he's about to have a heart attack." Damon smirked.

"That's because it's like the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Jeremy said not taking his eyes off of it. Tyler was also drooling at the sight of the luxury sports car.

"No, my car is the most beautiful car ever. That's just a toy." Damon pointed to it.

"How can you say a half a million dollar car is a toy?" Jeremy exclaimed and the rest of them gasped.

"You spent half a million dollars on a car?" Bonnie asked in disbelief and Damon shrugged like it was no big deal.

"It's his dream car, what do I care how much it cost?" Damon asked in a bored tone and Bonnie looked at him differently. She would never have expected Damon to do something like that for anyone, let alone Stefan, given their history.

"Thank you, Damon. I love it." Stefan grinned.

"Non ti preoccupare, te lo meriti. Provate a guidare un sacco così posso avere rapporti sessuali a volte presto per favore." Damon said in Italian with a smirk and both Stefan and Anna laughed.

"You're such a horn dog." Anna said and Damon shrugged.

"Common knowledge." Damon replied. "Anyway, the reservation is at 8.30pm, Stef." Damon said then sped back into the house. Stefan and Jeremy jumped in the car and went for a drive while the others waited outside for them. Stefan promised to take them all for a drive in it if they wanted to. Anna followed Damon into the house.

"That was really nice, what you did for him." Anna said to Damon and he slung his arms around her and hugged her. They'd become very close friends since she returned and he'd come to care for her a lot.

"Like I said, blame Ric. He's made me mushy." Damon chuckled. "Any idea how many people I'm going to have to kill to make them forget I did that?" Damon smirked and Anna laughed.

"Shut up." She said as she held on to him. Damon was like the big brother she'd never had.

"Can we continue watching those old Japanese horror films you brought over until the Teacher stops sulking?" Damon asked.

"Sure, I'll set it up while you get the booze." She smiled and Damon nodded. Damon picked up a bottle of whiskey for himself and a bottle of tequila and orange juice for Anna. The two of them did this almost every day while Ric was at school and when he was in Indiana. Damon went in and sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around her and she leaned into his chest. They'd been watching for about an hour when everyone came back into the house. Stefan came in totally buzzing with happiness.

"Damon, that was so awesome!" Stefan exclaimed and Damon smirked.

"Good. Now can you get all of them to leave, please?" Damon asked.

"Uh... what's going on here?" Jeremy asked Damon and Anna who looked awfully cosy.

"We're watching a movie." Damon replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why do you have your arm around her?" Jeremy asked.

"Because we're buds." Anna replied.

"And we do this almost every day while our boys are at school; it's not a big deal." Damon replied with a shrug. "Now can you buzz off? I haven't seen this one." Damon said and Anna nudged him.

"Don't be mean." She said and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jeremy. Kindly leave my house, please. Better?" He asked Anna who shot him a look.

"Fine. I'm going." Jeremy huffed and left. Ric came down a short while later wearing one of Damon's shirts and he went in and sat next to Damon who still had his arm around Anna.

"You alright now?" Damon smirked and Ric glared at him.

"That was embarrassing, Damon. I was their teacher." He said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear them." Damon said and Ric nodded.

"Thanks, Alaric." Stefan grinned as he came in the room.

"For what?" Ric asked confused.

"Uh... my graduation present. Damon said it was your idea." Stefan replied.

"What graduation present?" Ric asked and Stefan smiled softly at Damon who was paying a great deal of attention to the TV screen. "Damon?" Ric nudged him and he sighed.

"You're supposed to play along, dufus." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Really, thank you, Damon. It means a lot to me." Stefan said.

"Don't get too excited about it, it's just a car." Damon shrugged.

"You got him a car?" Ric asked with a smile.

"A Ferrari. It's my dream car." Stefan grinned and Ric chuckled. He knew how sweet Damon could be if it suited him.

"Cool." Ric nodded. He knew if he praised Damon for it he would just get annoyed so he didn't.

"Can AB come to dinner instead of Barbie?" Damon asked and Anna laughed.

"Be nice to Caroline." Anna said.

"I am nice to Caroline... mostly... I like you better though." Damon pointed out and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"I thought you were starting to like, Caroline." Stefan said.

"I am but won't it be a little weird for you being at dinner with your girlfriend and your teacher knowing your brother slept with both of them?" Damon asked and Stefan sighed.

"Did you have to put it like that?" Stefan asked and Damon smirked.

"If it'll get me out of it." Damon shrugged.

"I can't be weird with everyone you've slept with since I'd have to be weird with everyone in this town." Stefan said and Damon chuckled.

"I haven't slept with _everyone_." Damon smirked.

"You slept with Carol Lockwood." Stefan said and Damon glared at him as Ric gasped in shock.

"What?" Alaric asked in disbelief.

"You want to go there, Stefan?" Damon asked. "You slept with Katherine while she was here. More than once." Damon said and both Ric and Anna looked shocked. "If you're going to bring up this crap in front of Ric, I can easily do the same."

"You started it." Stefan replied.

"What are you? Twelve?" Damon asked.

"Both of you stop." Anna said. "Just shut up and watch the movie." She said and Damon shot her an annoyed look.

* * *

><p>Damon didn't get out of going to dinner with Stefan and Caroline, much to his annoyance. He was in a mood and decided just to ignore them as much as possible. Stefan took the Ferrari to the restaurant and picked Caroline up on the way and Damon drove himself and Ric there. He hardly spoke the whole journey and Ric was concerned. Nothing good could come from Damon being in that mood. They parked and went into the restaurant and were directed to their table, where Stefan and Caroline already sat. Damon sat next to Caroline in the booth since he kind of wanted to throttle Stefan.<p>

"Hey." She smiled at them both when they sat down.

"Hi, Caroline." Ric smiled back at her and Damon gave her a nod.

"We ordered drinks already. We weren't sure when you guys were coming." She replied and Damon sighed. He'd developed a couple of new skills due to the strong blood bond he'd created with Alaric. He looked over at the bar and soon the barmaid was staring at him. He silently compelled her then looked back at the table. About a minute later she appeared with two bourbons and set them down on the table then left after Damon nodded to her.

"How did she know what to bring you?" Caroline asked confused.

"She didn't." Damon shrugged. "I compelled her."

"When?" Ric asked confused.

"Just before she brought them over." Damon replied and all three of them looked at him in shock.

"How?" Stefan asked.

"I have mad skills." Damon smirked then downed his bourbon, finished it then frowned. He looked back over at the barmaid and moments later she returned and left the bottle on the table.

"No, really how are you doing that?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"I picked up a couple of new skills." Damon shrugged and refilled his glass.

"But how?" Stefan asked.

"No idea." Damon shrugged. Damon knew it was the bond with Ric but he didn't want to tell Stefan that.

"How did..." Stefan started and Damon held up his hand.

"I'm here, I'll be civil but I'm not sitting through an interrogation." Damon said. "So just drink your drink and eat your food and leave me alone." Damon said to Stefan.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked concerned.

"Peachy." Damon replied curtly as he kept drinking. Damon zoned out of their conversation and only spoke to order more alcohol and dinner. He had too many thoughts in his head and he knew what he had to do... Even though it would destroy him to do it.

* * *

><p>After dinner, they left the restaurant and Ric could tell there was something seriously wrong with Damon. Damon drove him back to the Gilbert's then parked. They had decided that Alaric would stay over so he was surprised that Damon drove him there. Damon got out of the car and Ric followed and closed the door behind him. Damon stood in front of him and looked torn up about something.<p>

"What's going on?" Ric asked concerned.

"I need to talk to you about something." Damon replied, his facial expression grim.

"Go ahead." Ric nodded apprehensively.

"I don't think we should be together anymore." Damon said quietly. It was a lie but he had to do it. He knew that Ric, the love of his life, deserved better than him or anything he could give him.

"Why?" Ric asked though he could feel his heart clench at Damon's words.

"I'm not good enough for you." Damon replied and Ric sighed. "I'll only disappoint you in the long run." Damon added. "So it's better to just end things before I destroy your life."

"No, you won't disappoint me." Ric said softly. "And you won't destroy my life."

"I will. I'm not 'boyfriend' material, Ric. I'm the guy that parents warn their kids about to stay away from." Damon said and Ric shook his head.

"My dad likes you." Ric replied.

"That's only because he doesn't know me." Damon countered. "He doesn't know about everything I've done or who I really am underneath it all." Damon said and Ric was quiet. Far too quiet for Damon's liking. "Can you say something, please?" Damon asked then he noticed Ric's expression turn angry.

"Honestly, I'm offended." Ric said annoyed and Damon looked confused.

"What? Why?" He asked.

"Because, you're a controlling, arrogant jackass. I'm not a teenager, Damon. I'm 30 years old dammit and perfectly capable to make my own decisions about whom I date. If you want to break up with me because you don't want to be with me anymore, that's fine, go ahead. That I could accept. But at least respect me enough to let me decide for myself what's good for me." Ric said and Damon looked shocked. He was not expecting that response.

"I don't deserve you." Damon replied and Ric sighed.

"Do you love me, Damon?" Ric asked though he knew the answer.

"You know I do." Damon said.

"Do you want to be with me or not?" Ric asked and Damon nodded. "Then shut up and get back in the fucking car." Ric said and got back in the passenger seat. Damon walked back around and got into the driver's seat, completely stunned by the conversation. He sat in silence for a moment.

"I love you." Damon said turning to Ric.

"Then stop being a dumbass." Ric countered annoyed and Damon chuckled.

"Okay." Damon nodded.

* * *

><p>Two weeks later, Damon and Ric were still going strong. Damon stopped doubting himself and Ric was no longer as shy. They were inseparable apart from when Ric needed to spend time making sure Elena and Jeremy were okay. They had been together for just over a month but it felt like they'd always been together. They'd been planning their trip down under as well as going on dates and having lots of sex. They were in the living room of the boarding house talking about it. Damon was standing at the drinks cart while Ric lay on the couch when Anna came into the house in tears. Damon looked over at her confused when she rushed over to him and threw her arms around him and sobbed into his chest. He hugged her back tightly.<p>

"What happened?" He asked her as he stroked her hair. Ric had spent time with her too over the weeks and really liked her. He was glad that Damon had found such a good friend.

"Jeremy broke up with me." She sobbed and Damon held her closer.

"Why?" Damon asked her as he rubbed her back.

"He wants to get back together with Bonnie." Anna sobbed and Damon was furious.

"Want me to kill him for you?" Damon asked her. Ric shot him a look for that comment, not sure if he was serious or not.

"No." Anna cried. "Can we just do something? Go somewhere?" She asked into his shoulder. Damon looked at Ric and Ric nodded.

"Anything you want." Damon replied. "Why don't we drive to Georgia?" Damon asked. "The Red Stripe festival is tomorrow." Damon said and she nodded.

"That would be great." She replied.

"Well, go pack a bag and we'll leave in an hour. Just give me time to say bye to Ric properly." He smirked at her and she laughed despite her tears then sped upstairs to her room. Damon went over to where Ric was sitting and straddled him.

"When will you be back?" Ric asked and Damon smiled.

"I haven't left yet." He pointed out with a grin. "You're going to miss me aren't you?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. "We'll be back the day after tomorrow probably." Damon shrugged. "I'll either drive back right after the festival or stay the night and drive back in the morning." He said.

"It's good though I guess. I need some time to concentrate on some work." Ric said.

"What work?" Damon asked curiously.

"I wasn't going to tell you until it's done, but I've been asked to write an article for a historical journal." Ric smiled and Damon grinned.

"That's awesome." Damon kissed him. "When did that happen?" Damon asked.

"Last week." Ric smiled. "I was going to wait to tell you until the publication." He shrugged.

"My little history geek." Damon grinned and ran his hand through Ric's hair. "I'm proud of you." Damon said. "I'm looking forward to reading it." Damon smiled.

"Thanks." Ric said. "We should probably go upstairs and get to that proper goodbye." Ric smirked and Damon laughed.

"Can't argue with that." Damon smirked and stood up then the two of them took off upstairs to Damon's room.

* * *

><p>Anna was waiting in the car in the driveway of the boarding house while Damon and Alaric stood in the hallway making out. They'd had their goodbye sex and Damon had given Alaric a vial of his blood to drink the next day just in case something happened while he was gone. Alaric thought he was paranoid but humoured him anyway. Damon had him pushed up against the wall but Ric held on to him tightly anyway.<p>

"Do you two ever stop?" Stefan asked as he came in the open door with Caroline.

"Leave them alone, Stefan." Caroline smiled and Damon pulled away to wink at her.

"I'm going away for a few days, just saying bye." Damon shrugged.

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked curiously.

"Mini-Gilbert broke up with Anna and so that I don't kill him, we're going to Georgia for a festival." Damon replied but he hadn't moved from where Alaric was pinned against the wall. Ric was getting used to how much Damon really just didn't understand social etiquette in regards to PDA and sex.

"Oh my god!" Caroline gasped. "Is she okay?" She asked. Caroline had been spending time with Anna too since she was living at the boarding house with the Salvatores.

"She'll be fine." Damon nodded. "We'll go listen to music, eat some good people and get drunk. It'll be fun." Damon grinned and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Just don't kill anyone." He said.

"You keep forgetting that I'm a vampire. Not a teddy bear." Damon smirked. "You know? Scary monstrous creature of the night with a thirst for blood and death?" Damon said and Caroline giggled.

"You do look monstrous the way you're all cuddled into Ric there." Caroline smiled and Damon winked at her.

"Then I'll just have to be extra monstrous in Georgia." Damon smirked and Ric and Stefan sighed in annoyance.

"Ric you're getting as broody as my brother." Damon pointed out. "You'll wrinkle prematurely." He said and Ric chuckled.

"Not if you turn me." Ric pointed out and Damon scowled at him and let him go.

"We're not getting into this again right now." Damon said and Ric rolled his eyes. "I'm going now." Damon said and Ric smirked at him.

"I love you." Ric said too sweetly and Damon deadpanned at him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll bring you a present." Damon said and Caroline giggled. They were such a normal couple in many ways.

"That's not why I said it." Ric replied and Damon leaned in and pecked him on the lips.

"I know. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He smirked then kissed Caroline on the cheek and left with a wave. Ric sighed as he got into the car and drove off.

"You miss him already, don't you?" Caroline asked amused and Ric rolled his eyes.

"It's truly pathetic." Ric chuckled then went to his own car to drive home.

* * *

><p>Damon had just driven out of Mystic Falls and noticed that Anna was too quiet.<p>

"He doesn't deserve you, you know." Damon said to her and she smiled a small smile at him.

"He was there for me when my mother was staked... I thought..." She trailed off and Damon understood.

"You have to remember that he's sixteen years old. He's a stupid child, still." Damon said. "No doubt in another couple of weeks he'll change his mind again. You deserve better than Jeremy fucking Gilbert." Damon said and she smiled at him kindly. They'd become the very best of friends and Anna appreciated how protective he was of her.

"Thanks, D." She said.

"You know I love you, AB. I'll kill him for you if you want." He smirked at her and she giggled.

"No, don't. You're right though about him being sixteen... I think I've lived far too long to be with a human." She said.

"Find yourself a boring old history teacher, believe me..." Damon wiggled his eyebrows. "Best sex you'll ever have." Damon smirked and she laughed.

"Then why won't you turn him?" She asked curiously.

"It's not that I won't turn him, I just don't want him to turn right now. I think he really needs more time to think this over and see if it's really worth it to him." Damon shrugged.

"Well, why do you give him blood every day then?" She asked.

"Because we would both rather he turned than died." Damon said and she nodded.

"Ric have any friends he could send my way?" She grinned and Damon chuckled.

"I'll ask him." Damon said.

"Is it weird for you being with a guy?" She asked and Damon smiled.

"At first it was so weird we didn't even know how to act with each other." Damon chuckled. "But now, I don't see it as being with a guy, it's just Ric." Damon shrugged. "If that makes sense?"

"If you broke up, would you go out with another guy?" She asked and Damon shook his head.

"No." He said. "Ric's a one off." Damon replied. "I don't find men attractive, if I'm being completely honest."

"How did it even happen?" She asked curiously and Damon chuckled.

"I first realised that I was attracted to him when he stabbed Elijah." Damon smirked and she looked at him like he was crazy.

"Then what?" She asked.

"Then I sat and thought about it too much and realised I wasn't just attracted to him." Damon replied.

"Ooh, tell me everything." She grinned and he chuckled.

"I actually avoided him completely, hoping it would go away." Damon replied and Anna looked surprised.

"What do you mean by avoided?" She asked.

"If he walked into a room, I would leave without a word, I ignored his calls and he noticed that I was talking to everyone else but him." Damon chuckled.

"So how did you tell him?" She asked.

"You know I got bitten by Lockwood, right?" He asked and she nodded.

"I was lying in bed, minutes away from death and I told him why I was avoiding him." He said. "Could you imagine how different things would be right now if I hadn't told him?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"You wouldn't have told him anyway?" She asked.

"No. My plan was to leave Mystic Falls. I would have just left." He shrugged and she looked surprised.

"I'm glad you didn't leave." She smiled.

"I am leaving though." He said to her and her expression saddened.

"When?" She asked.

"Ric and I are going on a month vacation to Australia then we're moving to Charlottesville." Damon replied.

"That's not too far." She pointed out.

"Well, why don't you move with me?" Damon asked and she looked surprised.

"Won't you be living with Ric?" She asked confused.

"We've only been together for just over a month. It's probably too soon to live together." He replied. "So you could come and be my roomie." Damon smirked and she beamed at him.

"You wouldn't mind?" She asked for confirmation and he rolled his eyes.

"Do you think if I minded I would have asked you?" He asked.

"Alright, I'll move with you." She grinned.

"And if you feel like you're getting bored, you can help me build up a business." He said and she grinned.

"That would be awesome." She nodded. "I have a few degrees in different things, so I'm sure I could be useful." She said and he smirked at her.

"How do you feel about cars?" Damon asked.

"Love them." She replied and he smirked. "Why?"

"Because I want to set up a classic car place where people can buy, sell and renovate classic cars. If it goes well, I'll set up a chain of them over the years in different places so we can still work there but move around so nobody notices that we aren't getting any older." Damon replied.

"That sounds great. I'm in." She smiled and Damon grinned at her. "I've worked as a mechanic before." She said and Damon looked surprised but a little awed too.

"I knew there was a reason you're my best bud." Damon smirked and she laughed.

* * *

><p>They managed the 8 hour drive in 6 hours and they checked into a hotel since it was almost one in the morning. They got checked in and went up to their room. Damon had brought pyjama bottoms with him so Anna wouldn't be uncomfortable sharing a room with him. They decided just to go to bed and get up early in the morning to feed instead as they were both tired. They'd talked a lot about how each was feeling about Jeremy and Ric and the future, including ideas about their business. Damon jumped in on the left side of the bed like always and Anna got in on the right after switching the light off.<p>

"Sorry in advance if I hug you while I'm asleep." Damon smirked and she laughed, knowing he was used to sleeping next to Ric.

"It's fine, I could probably use a snuggle." She said a little sadly so Damon turned on his side and spooned her, wrapping his arm around her waist.

"You'll be okay." He whispered to her and she nodded.

"I know... I'm just not there yet." She said sadly and they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up wrapped around Anna in the morning. He moved to lie on his back and stretched then got up.<p>

"Morning." Anna said as she turned to look at him.

"Morning, AB." He smirked then got some clothes out of his overnight bag to put on after his shower. "How'd you sleep?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows and she laughed.

"So much for you not being a teddy bear." She grinned and he chuckled. "You're surprisingly comfortable for such a monstrous creature of the night with a thirst for blood and death." She said mocking his words to Ric the day before.

"Yeah, yeah." He said. "Tell anyone and I'll kill you." He smirked and she laughed.

"Like you could." She scoffed and he raised an eyebrow. Before she could even register that he'd moved, he was on top of her with a stake pressed against her chest.

"You were saying?" He smirked and she chuckled.

"Cheap shot." She said and he laughed and got off of her. "Why do you have a stake with you anyway? Isn't that a little unsafe to keep around vampires?" She asked curiously and he chuckled.

"I have vervain darts too." He replied. "It was just in case you pissed me off." He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

"Liar." She said and he chuckled.

"You never know who we'll encounter. It's just better to be prepared." He shrugged.

"In that case, you're not keeping all the ammo." She smirked and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll give you a vervain dart for your boot." He replied. "I'll go shower." He replied then went into the bathroom. He came out a few minutes later, clean and dressed then Anna went in. He figured he better call Ric since he didn't before he went to bed. He got out his phone and dialled number 1 on his speed dial.

"_Hey._" Ric answered and Damon grinned despite himself.

"Morning sexy." Damon said and Ric chuckled.

"_What are you up to?_" Ric asked.

"Just waiting for AB to get out of the shower so we can get going." Damon replied.

"_You shared a room?_" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"Are you jealous?" Damon asked with a laugh.

"_Should I be?_" Ric asked curiously and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Yes, we spent all night having hot, animalistic sex." Damon replied and Ric laughed.

"_I trust you._" Ric said.

"You should, you have no reason not to." Damon replied a little annoyed because he would never cheat on Ric.

"_Sorry._" Alaric said.

"I'm not going to cheat on you, Ric." Damon said.

"_I know, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thought that._" Ric said and Damon could tell he felt bad.

"It's okay. It's me. I'm a horn dog. I get it." Damon replied. "Let's just move on. What are you doing today?" He asked.

"_I'm spending the day in the library doing research, like I did yesterday afternoon after you left._" Ric replied and Damon smirked.

"Fun." He said sarcastically and Ric laughed.

"_I'm sneaking in a hip flask to make it more interesting._" Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"That does sound a little better." He said.

"_What are you doing?_" He asked.

"We're going to feed then we're heading over to the festival." Damon replied. "I haven't fed on anyone but you in ages. It'll be crap." Damon chuckled.

"_Well you can get your fix tomorrow when you come home._" Ric laughed.

"Can't wait." Damon smirked. "I better go. I'll call you later." Damon said.

"_See you tomorrow. I love you._" Ric said and Damon smiled from ear to ear. He always felt fluttery when Ric told him that.

"Love you too, Teach." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"_You'll have to come up with a different nickname for me now that I'm not a teacher anymore._" Ric said and Damon smirked.

"What about sexy beast?" Damon asked and Ric laughed.

"_No. I can't have you calling me that in front of people._" Ric said.

"Stud?" Damon asked amused and Ric laughed.

"_No._"

"Sweet ass?" Damon smirked.

"_No!_" Ric exclaimed and Damon laughed.

"You're such a prude, my little geek." Damon grinned and Ric chuckled. "Actually, I'll call you geek. Yeah. I like that." Damon chuckled.

"_At least that isn't embarrassing._" Ric huffed and Damon smiled.

"Okay, well, love you, Geek. I have to go." Damon smirked.

"_I'm going to think up my own nickname for you, you know. Love you too. I'll speak to you later."_

"You do that, bye, Geek." Damon grinned and hung up then Anna came out of the bathroom laughing.

"You two are so sappy." Anna smirked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Shut up." He muttered and she laughed. "Let's go." He said and the two of them left.

* * *

><p><strong>What Damon said in Italian:<strong>

_Non ti preoccupare, te lo meriti. Provate a guidare un sacco così posso avere rapporti sessuali a volte presto per favore._

Don't worry, you deserve it. Try to drive it a lot so I can have sex sometime soon please.


	13. Doubts and Mothers

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**My inspiration for the issues in this chapter came from a close friend who went through a similar internal struggle.**

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 13

* * *

><p>Damon and Anna fed then went to the festival. They watched the bands, visited the stalls, drank, ate and shopped a little. It was basically uneventful, but at least both of them had fun and Anna got her mind off of Jeremy, which was the point. Damon enjoyed spending time with Anna because unlike the other people in his life – excluding Ric of course – she wasn't judgemental of him at all; she enjoyed the banter and just seemed to get him. Anna liked spending time with Damon because he was funny as hell, knew how to just let loose and have a good time, and deep down he was just a decent guy who she could count on. They talked a lot about business ideas since both were eager to just jump right in and they decided that they would start looking for locations before Damon and Ric went to Australia, that way Anna could get the place ready for them to start working at as soon as Damon was back. He didn't really care about the layout or the decor of the place, but Anna had really great ideas so he was fine with letting her just do her thing since they had decided to be joint partners in it instead of it being just Damon's business with her working there.<p>

Both were still wide awake and buzzing with excitement about the car business so they drove back to Mystic Falls after the festival. That and Damon missed Ric – as sappy as that was. Because of their bond, the longer he spent away from him, the more he needed to be back with him. Because it was late at night, Damon could go much faster than he could normally during the day so they made it back to Mystic Falls in 5 hours. Just as they were passing the sign Anna sighed.

"What's up?" Damon asked.

"I just liked being away from here, that's all." She said and Damon smirked.

"Believe me, I feel the same way." Damon replied. "We'll move soon enough, my dear." He said.

"Where will I live while you are in Australia?" She asked and Damon shrugged.

"It's up to you. I was thinking about buying a place in Charlottesville before leaving so you can either live there or at the boarding house." He said.

"Think I'd rather be in Charlottesville." She deadpanned and he chuckled.

"Okay, well, when we're looking at buildings, we'll fit in a few house viewings too then." Damon replied casually.

"You're the best." She smiled and he smirked.

"I know this, AB." He said and she giggled.

"Ass."

"I know that too." Damon smirked.

"Does your geek know you're coming back tonight?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"No, I'm going to sneak into his apartment and surprise him." Damon replied.

"You leaving the car at the boarding house?" She asked and he shook his head.

"No, I was thinking I would drive to Ric's and you can just drive it back." He shrugged.

"Cool." She nodded and Damon drove to Ric's apartment. He kissed Anna on the cheek and told her he would see her in the morning then jumped out of the car and went into Ric's building. Anna slid over to the driver's seat and drove to the boarding house. Damon gave her his keys so she wouldn't have to wake Stefan up. She parked and picked up her bags then let herself into the house.

"Hey." Stefan said and she turned around surprised.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Did you have fun?" He asked and she grinned.

"Yeah, it was great." She nodded.

"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked confused and Anna laughed.

"Do I really need to answer that?" Anna asked and he rolled his eyes.

"My brother is totally whipped." Stefan laughed.

* * *

><p>Ric had given Damon a key to his apartment, should he ever need to get in for any reason. Sure, he could break the door no problem, but Ric scowled at him when he suggested it so he'd accepted the key. He let himself in silently then locked the door again and crept into the bedroom. Ric was fast asleep and Damon smiled contentedly at the sight of him. He watched him sleep for a few minutes before silently undressing down to his boxers and climbing in to bed behind him. Damon thought it was cute that even when he wasn't there, Ric kept to the right side of the bed. He put his arm around Ric and pulled him into his chest and just inhaled his scent. He didn't mean to wake him up, but he didn't mind that he had either. Ric turned his head to look behind him and grinned widely at the sight of Damon.<p>

"Hey." Ric whispered.

"Surprise." Damon smirked and Ric turned around fully to embrace him. Damon leaned down to kiss him softly. "You can go back to sleep." Damon said and Ric shrugged.

"I'm awake now." He smiled. "I missed you." He said and Damon grinned.

"I missed you too." Damon replied. "Why do you think I snuck into your place in the middle of the night?" Damon chuckled.

"I'm glad you did. Bed's too warm without you." Ric smirked and Damon chuckled. "What's funny?" Ric raised an eyebrow.

"You have to admit it's kind of amusing that you sleep better when you're next to a killer corpse." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"I love you." Ric said and kissed him again. "Did you have fun?" He asked when he pulled away.

"Yeah, there's some stuff I should tell you about but we can get to that tomorrow." Damon suggested then kissed him again.

"Dude, you can't say that then not tell me." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked.

"Stop calling me dude." Damon said and Ric rolled his eyes. "You know that car business I want to start?" He asked and Ric nodded. "I asked AB to partner up with me." He said. "We're going to spend the next two weeks looking for a building and a house so that she can get it up and running while you and I are on our vacation." Damon grinned and Alaric could tell he was really excited about it.

"That's cool." Ric smiled. "I'll come up with you one day so I can go to the museum and get the forms filled out." Alaric said.

"Great." Damon grinned.

"So, how's she doing now?" Alaric asked and Damon sighed.

"She just can't wait to get the hell out of this town. She had a good time though. It was just what she needed." Damon nodded. "Thanks for being cool with me taking her away for the day." Damon said and Alaric smiled at him fondly.

"I'm glad you found such a good friend." He said.

"You're my friend." Damon replied then pecked him on the lips and Alaric cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm not your friend." He chuckled.

"Sure you are. My friend with special benefits." Damon smirked and Ric frowned.

"You don't seriously think we're friends with benefits, do you?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"Yeah." Damon nodded.

"No." Ric shook his head.

"Then enlighten me Mr Saltzman." Damon quipped.

"I'm your boyfriend, Damon." Ric said and Damon made a face.

"No, you're really not. I hate that word." Damon said and Ric sighed.

"Well, what would you introduce me as?" Ric asked curiously, interested in Damon's answer. He was kind of annoyed at the thought Damon would call him just a friend.

"Well, clearly 'friend' annoys you and I'm not saying 'boyfriend' because we're far too old for that, so what should I say then? And I swear to god if you say 'life partner' I'll smack you." Damon said with a sigh.

"That's what I'm asking you." Ric replied as he moved to sit up.

"What does it even matter?" Damon asked staring at the ceiling.

"It matters." Ric replied.

"Why? We know we are more than friends, why does it matter what we say to other people?" Damon asked.

"Are you embarrassed or something?" Ric asked and Damon groaned.

"How did this awful conversation even start?" Damon huffed.

"Are you embarrassed?" Ric asked again more forcefully.

"No, of course not!" Damon snapped. "Don't be stupid." He said.

"I'm stupid? You're getting freaked out by the word 'boyfriend'." Ric exclaimed.

"You were so much more fun when you were asleep." Damon said sarcastically.

"Obviously this is an issue for you." Ric pointed out and Damon snorted.

"Don't be ridiculous." Damon said. "Everyone in this town knows we are together! When have I ever indicated that it remotely bothers me that people know?" Damon asked.

"Then what's the problem with the word 'boyfriend'?" Alaric asked then Damon got up out of the bed and pulled his clothes back on. "Where are you going?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"The boarding house." Damon said as he buttoned up his shirt.

"Why?" Alaric asked.

"Because this is a stupid argument about nothing." Damon said.

"Just tell me what the problem with that word is!" Alaric exclaimed.

"Because I'm not gay!" Damon snapped and Alaric looked stunned.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm not gay, Ric! If I call you my boyfriend, that makes me gay and I'm not gay." Damon said in an upset tone. "You're just my, Ric. I don't see you as a guy, I just see you as Ric. I can't say you're my boyfriend because I'm not gay. Don't you understand that?" Damon asked and Ric blinked.

"What are you saying?" Ric asked feeling the sting of tears threatening to fall as Damon pulled on his jacket.

"I was raised in the 1800's for god sake! You are quite possibly the love of my life... And I'm a guy and if the love of my life is a guy..." Damon said and Alaric saw a tear fall down his face. "I can't talk about this right now." Damon said then sped out of the apartment before Ric could say anything else. Damon ran back to the boarding house as fast as he could. He needed alcohol or blood or something. He got in the door and into the living room before he collapsed on the couch in sobs. He hadn't wanted to think about it since everything with Ric started but things got so serious, so fast and he didn't know what to do. He was raised in a time when you were considered sick for having feelings for someone of the same sex... that it wasn't normal. He didn't know how to accept this because nobody would understand what he was going through. He didn't care what people thought of him but he cared about what he thought of himself. He honestly wanted to be with Ric forever and couldn't imagine life without him now, but he couldn't shake the feelings he was having about it. It had been building up slowly but surely and he never stopped to deal with it. Moments later Anna and Stefan appeared to find Damon crying into the couch and they were both shocked and concerned. Anna lifted him up so that he was cuddled in her arms and Stefan kneeled in front of him.

"What's wrong?" Anna said softly while rubbing his back.

"I don't know if I can do it anymore." Damon replied, blinded by tears.

"Do what?" Stefan asked.

"Stefan... Alaric wants me to call him my boyfriend but I can't..." He sobbed. "I'm not gay and I can't." He cried and Stefan sighed.

"I knew this was coming." Stefan said softly and Anna nodded in understanding. That's why she'd brought it up in the car, she knew it too.

"How could this have happened?" Damon asked. "I like women for god's sake! How can the love of my life be a man?" Damon cried.

"It doesn't mean you're gay, though." Stefan replied and Damon shook his head.

"How can it not?" Damon asked. "If I'm in a relationship with a guy forever then it must mean that. But it can't mean that." He sobbed.

"You're still the same guy that you always were, you just found someone to love." Anna said. "We can't help who we fall in love with, Damon." She said as she rubbed his back.

"Why did it have to be Alaric fucking Saltzman?" Damon asked angrily. "Why couldn't it have been someone else?" He asked then his anger deflated and more tears fell. Realistically, he knew that Ric was perfect for him.

"That's just what happened, Damon." Stefan said softly then Damon's expression grew fierce.

"This is all your fault, Stefan!" Damon yelled and stood up. "If you had just let me die with that god damned wolf bite, none of this would have happened!" Damon exclaimed and started pacing the room.

"Then you would have died without ever being truly in love and having it returned." Stefan said. He knew Damon wasn't really angry at him; he just needed someone to blame.

"Dying then would have been kinder." Damon replied and Stefan looked shocked but Anna was just worried. "I... have to go." Damon said then sped out of the house.

"What are we going to do?" Anna asked alarmed.

"I don't know." Stefan shook his head. He wasn't sure he'd ever seen Damon so upset before and all he wanted to do was help his brother but he didn't know how.

* * *

><p>Damon ran through the woods for a while until he unconsciously found himself at the old graveyard. He followed the familiar path to the familiar grave stone and slumped down in front of it.<p>

_Rosaria Salvatore_

Damon stared at his mother's tombstone and wondered what she would have said about this. Her death had been so long ago, yet it still hurt. He missed her still every day. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. He was so unbelievably confused. He needed her to tell him it would all be okay, but she couldn't. He stared at the stone hoping answers would come to him but none did. He never wanted to do anything to hurt Ric, but this was hurting Damon and he couldn't help it. Part of him considered just taking off and never looking back. He had all of eternity and would get over Ric eventually – even if it took 100 years. But then he would never see Ric again and it made him stay. He had to figure this out so he went to the only person that could help if he could convince her to.

* * *

><p>Bonnie woke up and looked at her clock. 5.30am. Who the hell could be at her door at that time in the morning? She reluctantly got out of bed, pulled on her robe and shuffled down the stairs. Her dad was on a business trip as usual so she was in the house alone. She opened the door and nearly fell over when she saw Damon standing there.<p>

"What are you doing here?" She asked confused. "Do you know what time it is?"

"I'm sorry." He said to her then she took in his appearance. He looked awful. She could see his puffy red eyes and tear streaked face and was honestly shell shocked. Damon had been crying?

"Are you okay?" She asked him concerned. He wasn't her favourite person, but she didn't like the thought that he was so upset either. The psycho vamp had grown on her significantly.

"No." He shook his head. "I have no right to be here, asking you this but, I need to know..." He said then took a deep breath. She could tell he was fighting back more tears.

"What do you need to know?" She asked him softly.

"Is there any way I could speak to my mother?" He asked her and she looked surprised. That was not what she thought he would ask. "I'll give you anything you want. If you want money, I have tons of it, or things or favours or anything... I just want to speak to my mother." He said to her in a pleading tone and it broke her heart to see someone so strong, reduced to someone so defeated. Then she did something she swore she would never do...

"Why don't you come in, Damon?" She asked and he looked really shocked. She stood to the side to let him in and after a moment he walked in. "Go have a seat and I'll take a look and see what I can find." She said to him softly directing him towards the couch and he nodded. He slumped down in silence and stared at a spot on the wooden floor while she rifled through some books. "Do you have anything of hers?" She asked.

"My ring is made from her wedding ring as is Stefan's." He said. "Will that work? Or my blood?" He asked.

"Why don't we do both just to strengthen it?" She asked and he nodded. "I found something." She said and he looked up at her. She noticed a couple of fresh tears and she had the impulse to hug him but she didn't think he would appreciate that. "I can send you to the spiritual plane." She said. "Your body would remain here, but your mind and spirit would go there." She said.

"Is that dangerous for you to do?" He asked.

"No it's fairly simple for me... but... you might not come back." She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"There's a warning in the Grimoire that says sometimes when sent to the spiritual plane, the spirit likes it so much, they don't want to come back." She said and Damon nodded. "Are you willing to risk that?" She asked and he nodded immediately. "Alright." She sighed then got a bunch of candles and spread them out in a circle on the floor. "Lie in the middle." She instructed and he did then she put down a flat dish next to him. "Lay your ring on the dish and drip some of your blood on top of it." She said. He took his ring off then bit into his wrist and let the blood cover the ring until the wound healed then lay back down on the floor. "What was your mother's name?" She asked.

"Rosaria Salvatore." He replied immediately. "Bonnie, thank you for doing this... If I don't come back... Tell Stefan and Ric that I'm sorry and I love them." He said and she nodded.

"All I want you to do is close your eyes and think about your mother." She said. Damon closed his eyes and pictured her in his mind. He remembered things she said, how she looked and smelled, memories of her and how he felt about her. Moments later he felt a shift in the air and he opened his eyes. He was lying on grass and it was still dark. This couldn't be the spirit plane, could it? It felt so real. He could feel the grass under his finger tips. He sat up and touched his leg. His body felt real too. He stood up then turned around and gasped. There she stood. She still had the long black hair down to her elbows, curly just like his and her blue eyes were just as icy blue as his were. She was wearing a dark blue long dress with long fitted sleeves and a boat neck collar and a red ribbon was tied around the middle, cinching her waist. He was taken aback at just how strange it was to see his mother again after over 150 years without her.

"Damon." She smiled then ran to him and hugged him. He gasped at the contact and hugged her back immediately. She still smelled of soap and apples and he was beyond weirded out.

"Mother." He replied in a whisper.

"My son, you cannot stay here. You must go back." She nodded as she pulled away and took his hands in hers.

"I needed to see you." He said to her in awe.

"I have missed you so terribly." She smiled at him and he felt his tears shedding again. He was an emotional wreck. "Look at how handsome you grew up to be. I can see why the ladies love you." She laughed and Damon smirked.

"You have no idea how much I've missed you." Damon replied.

"I do." She nodded. "I have watched you all of your life." She smiled softly and he frowned.

"That's kind of disturbing." He said honestly. "There're a lot of things I've gotten up to that I wouldn't have wanted you to see." He said and she laughed.

"Do not worry, I did not watch any intimate times you had." She smirked and he chuckled. He'd forgotten just how alike they had been. He got his inappropriate humour from her... what Stefan called 'Damon humour'.

"Do you know why I'm here?" He asked shakily. He loved her so much and it would destroy him if she was disappointed or ashamed of him.

"I do." She nodded sadly. "You are here because you are confused over your love for Alaric." She said and he nodded. "You fear that I will not love you anymore, yet my heart still bursts with my love for you, Damon. There is nothing you could ever do that would change that." She replied and his tears fell.

"I don't know how to live with this." He said to her honestly.

"Sit down with me." She said and he sat down across from her and she never let go of his hands. "Damon, my darling." She sighed. "In your heart you are a kind and gentle man, I have always known that to be true, even when you are cold in your actions. When you love, you love so deeply that it frightens you. You need not be frightened of your love for this man. He is the light in your eternal darkness and you should not give up such a gift out of duty to society's rules or morality that was forced upon you when you were human." She said softly. "Loving him does not change who you are. It never will. But, it will give you happiness. You know that already." She said.

"He does make me happy." He nodded.

"Then there should be no problem." She smiled. "As your mother, my only wish is for you to be happy." She said.

"But how did this happen?" Damon asked in desperation. "How does someone who loves women fall in love with a man?"

"Because no matter if he is male or female on the outside, it is his heart that you love. The heart is neither male nor female. If that heart belongs with yours, so should it be." She replied and he smiled softly at her.

"You always knew just what to say." Damon commented and she laughed.

"Because you have always been so much like me." She smiled.

"Is there anything you want me to tell Stefan?" He asked her. He could feel the pull to go back even though he wasn't ready yet.

"Tell him he made a wise choice in opening his heart to Caroline. She is a very kind and sweet girl and she can make him happy." She said. "You must stop blaming your brother for everything, Damon. It is not his fault that Guiseppe loved him and not you. It is not your fault either." She said. "Guiseppe was a horrible man and it is his loss that he did not know you and love you." She said and Damon smiled.

"Yeah, well. He got his in the end." Damon smirked. "His beloved son ate him." Damon said and Rosaria laughed.

"It was quite a shock for him, let me tell you." She replied. "Yet, in that moment before he died, his last thought was of you." She said and Damon looked surprised.

"What was he thinking? That he would have expected it from me and not Stefan?" Damon asked wryly and she smiled.

"No. His last thought was that he wished he hadn't shot you. He didn't regret shooting Stefan but he did regret shooting you." She said and Damon blinked in surprise. That was probably the closest thing to caring his father had ever given him. "You know, your father and I had an arranged marriage and I hated him." She smiled and Damon was shocked. How had he never known that? "I can only dream of how things might have been if I had had the chance that you have with Alaric, but I wouldn't change it as I would not have been your mother otherwise." She smiled. "Please don't give him up out of fear." She said to him and Damon nodded.

"I won't. Now that I know you still love me, I have nothing to fear." He replied. "I was afraid you would be ashamed of me." Damon said and she lifted his chin to look at her.

"Never." She shook her head. "In my eyes you will always be that little boy who brought me flowers every day from the garden just because you loved me. You are the love of my life, Damon." She said softly. "You are what I am most proud of and you are so precious to me, you will never know how much. I was so lucky to have been your mother." She said and Damon burst into tears. "No, don't be sad, my darling. You are what gave me joy and I died happy knowing I had given the world you." She said.

"I'm a killer, mother. You shouldn't feel that way." Damon said and she shook her head.

"And you will serve your penance for that one day." She said. "But you will never get penance or judgement from me." She said and he blinked in surprise.

"I'm only sad that when I die, I won't see you again." He said solemnly and she looked confused.

"Why will you not see me?" She asked.

"I will be in hell." He replied as if it was obvious and she laughed.

"There is no such place." She replied and he looked startled. "Your hell will be that when you are here with me, you will on occasion see the faces of the lives you took and they will know it was you." She said and Damon gasped. It was true, that was way worse than burning in a fiery pit forever. "But." She smiled. "I will be here waiting for you and I will be with you forever. I will console you when you feel your guilt and help you pay your penance." She said.

"I love you." He said to her because it was true.

"I know you love me, Damon and I love you." She replied.

"I was sure if I ever saw you again you would give me some kind of lecture." Damon chuckled and she smiled at him fondly.

"And I will." She nodded. "But I didn't want to start until you knew how much I love you." She smirked and he laughed.

"Go ahead, I'm all ears." He smirked and she laughed.

"Alright." She nodded. "First, the witch Bonnie who sent you here... She cannot afford to pay for her school fees at Duke University and I know that you are very wealthy. As a thank you for sending you here, I think you should help her with that." She said.

"I'll pay for all of it." He nodded. "Seeing you again is worth every penny I have and more." He said and she smiled in agreement.

"You cannot go around breaking people's arms when they say something you don't like." She said and he laughed.

"Bonnie and Alaric said the same thing." Damon nodded.

"They were right." She smirked. "Annabelle is a true friend to you. Make sure you keep her safe." She said and Damon smiled. He knew that already and would protect her. "And be nice to Caroline. She cares deeply for you, Damon, despite how you treated her. She is loyal to you and she could be a very good friend to you if you let her." Damon winced at that. He didn't want his mother to know that he'd treated a woman like that. He was truly ashamed of himself for that.

"That one I know." He nodded. "I don't know how I could ever even begin to make up for that. That's why I keep her at arm's length." Damon said.

"Because of your guilt?" She asked softly and he nodded. "I have a suggestion." She said and Damon smirked. "There is a small jewellery shop in Mystic Falls that has a butterfly necklace in the window on display. She has looked at that necklace for years since she was a child, every time she passes the window. Nobody ever bought it as it is expensive."

"Which one is it?" Damon asked already convinced.

"The only butterfly necklace they have." She smiled.

"I'll get it for her." Damon nodded.

"You're such a good boy, Damon." She said and he laughed.

"Hardly." He quipped and she laughed.

"I was impressed by your gift for Stefan. It seems that your relationship with Alaric has mended your relationship with your brother. It was kind of you to think of him." She pointed out and Damon nodded with a smile.

"It is nice to have him back." Damon nodded.

"I also have a message for Alaric from his mother." She said and Damon looked surprised. "I knew you would come to me soon as you have been so troubled and she asked that you tell him something from her. She says he will know why she said it." Rosaria explained.

"I'll remember." He nodded.

"The message is: To one person you may be the world." Rosaria said and Damon's brow furrowed in confusion. He had figured it would be something different.

"That's it?" Damon asked and she laughed.

"He will know." She nodded.

"If you say so." Damon shrugged.

"Finally, try to tone down the number of lives you take. I understand that you are a vampire and it is part of your nature, but you are one with so much control, there is no need for you to end any innocent lives, Damon. But don't do it for me, do it for you." She said. "With your strengths and abilities, you could do many great things in the world." She added and he nodded.

"I don't want to take lives anymore, mother." He said softly. "But, I will if I have to." Damon warned. "If I must protect someone I love then I will do it without question." He said to her and she nodded.

"I know that, my son. That is why I said innocent lives." She reminded him and he smirked.

"I wish I could stay with you." Damon said and she frowned.

"Be careful what you wish for Damon, you never know when your wish could be granted." She warned and he cocked an eyebrow.

"I'll keep that in mind." He nodded. "Do you have any further message for Stefan?" Damon asked curiously.

"Yes." She smiled. "Tell him he has a good heart and that I am proud of him." She smiled. "We didn't get much time together, but he's still my son and I love him." She nodded.

"I'll tell him." Damon nodded. "But I'm still your favourite, right?" Damon asked for confirmation and she laughed.

"Yes, but that you must not tell him." She said warningly and Damon grinned from ear to ear. It was enough that he knew. "You are two different things entirely to me. He is my son who I love deeply. You... You are my sunshine." She smiled and Damon felt emotional again. "Our time together has come to an end, Damon." She said softly. "You must go back or I fear you will not be able to." She said and Damon nodded sadly.

"I feel the pull." Damon said.

"We will see each other again. That I promise you." She said as she stroked his cheek. "One thing I always want you to remember. When you have doubts or fears or you worry about something, please remember that no matter what, I adore you and I will forever. I would support you in any decision you make because I not only love you, I trust you, my darling." She said and he nodded. "Oh, and..." She smirked. "He is very handsome in the blue shirt." She said and Damon's eyes widened in embarrassment as he covered his face in his hands.

"Wow. That is so mortifying." He said and she laughed.

"You need never be embarrassed with me." She smiled softly then leaned forward and kissed Damon's cheek. "You must go." She said sadly and he hugged her close to him.

"I'll miss you." He said to her.

"And I you." She smiled. "Until we meet again, I will be there to watch over you and protect you when I can." She smiled and Damon stood back up, shot her a cheeky smirk and ran across the grass away from her at vampire speed to get something then ran back. She looked at him curiously until he presented her with a buttercup which had been her favourite when he did it for her as a child. She took the flower and put her hand over her heart, tears falling from her eyes. "Oh, how I adore you, my sweet." She said in complete love for him and he smiled at her as his own tear shed. "Now close your eyes and go home, my darling." She said and he did.

* * *

><p>Damon felt the shift again but he was suddenly on his back on the wooden floor and he could hear sobbing. He felt heavy and disoriented. He opened one eye and saw Ric and Stefan sitting side by side on Bonnie's couch crying their eyes out.<p>

"Who died?" Damon asked and both their heads snapped up and Stefan rushed over to him and grabbed on to him.

"We thought you were dead." Stefan said as he hugged his brother while Ric stared at him in disbelief on the couch.

"Why? I was only gone for a few minutes." Damon said confused but he could see the curtains were drawn in the living room and a crack of sunlight appeared at the side.

"Damon..." Stefan said apprehensively. "You've been dead for almost four hours." He said and Damon's eyes widened.

"But it felt like only minutes. I was only with her for minutes." Damon said confused.

"With who?" Stefan asked.

"Bonnie didn't tell you?" Damon asked surprised.

"No." Stefan shook his head.

"I was with mother." Damon replied and Stefan gasped in shock. "She sent me to see mother."

"And you did? You saw her?" Stefan asked bewildered and Damon smiled fondly as he thought of her.

"I did." He nodded then he turned to look at Alaric. "I also have a message for you from your mother." Damon said and Alaric blinked in surprise. "She said that you will know what it means." Damon continued. "The message is: To one person you may be the world." Damon said and Alaric covered his mouth with his hand in shock. "So you know what that means?" Damon asked curiously and Ric nodded. "Well." Damon said then lifted his bloodied ring from the plate and stood up. He went into the kitchen and rinsed it off then put it back on. "I do need to talk to you both but not right now. I have something I have to do." Damon said and both men looked worried and confused but he just smiled widely at them then he was out the door before they could reply.

* * *

><p>Damon jumped through Caroline's window and was happy to see she was still asleep. He grinned at how beautiful she was when she slept. He sat down on her bed and she stirred.<p>

"Damon?" She asked confused as she rubbed her eyes.

"Morning, Blondie." He smiled at her and she sat up slowly.

"What's up?" She asked curiously.

"I wanted to talk to you." Damon said and she looked worried.

"Okay." She nodded.

"I'll never be able to make up for what I did to you, but I was hoping that one day, maybe we could be friends." He said to her and she smiled in surprise. "And I was hoping this would make a start on that." He said to her and handed her the little box and she looked confused.

"You got me something? What's this for?" She asked startled.

"It's something I hope you'll like." He said softly to her. She pushed the clasp of the box open and gasped at the sight of her necklace. She looked at Damon in pure shock as the tears welled in her eyes then suddenly she grabbed on to him and hugged him tightly. He wrapped his arms around her and tears rolled down her face and soaked into his shirt.

"How could you have possibly known?" She whispered and he smirked.

"I have my ways." He said to her and silently thanked his mother as he rubbed her back. "Do you like it?" He asked her and she nodded into his neck.

"You have no idea what this means to me." She said and he smiled.

"I think it was waiting there for you." He said to her and she sobbed a little at his reply.

"Thank you." She whispered and he pulled away from her gently and cupped her cheeks.

"Don't thank me." He smiled. "Just wear it and be happy." He said and she nodded. He took out the necklace from the still open box and fastened it around her neck. "Perfect." He smirked then she leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "What was that for?" He asked softly.

"I've wanted this necklace since I was eight years old." She replied. "You deserved a kiss for making that come true for me." She smiled and he smirked at her.

"My brother is lucky to have you." He smiled at her and stroked her cheek. "I'll see you later." He said then he was gone.

* * *

><p>Damon went back to Bonnie's house and he could hear that Stefan and Alaric were no longer there. He'd made a few phone calls and went to the bank before he went back to her house and he knocked on her door when he arrived. She opened up the door and looked relieved.<p>

"They told me you were alive but it's a relief to see you." She said and he smirked.

"I'll never be able to thank you enough for what you did for me. Getting to see her was the highlight of my life and I will be eternally grateful to you. If you ever need anything at all, call me and I'll do it. Anything." He nodded and she looked surprised. "Oh, and enjoy Duke." He winked and handed her a receipt. She looked down and she saw the payment made in full to Duke University for all four years and she gasped.

"Damon." She shook her head. "No, I can't accept this." She said.

"It's already done." He smirked then he disappeared as quickly as he'd shown up.

* * *

><p>Damon went to find Stefan at the boarding house. He was waiting in the living room for him and he looked up when Damon came in. Damon moved forward and sat beside him.<p>

"I hardly remember our mother." Stefan said sadly and Damon put an arm around him.

"That's okay, Stef. You were only five when she died." Damon nodded. "She asked me to tell you that you have a kind heart and she's proud of you and you're still her son and that she loves you no matter what." Damon said and Stefan tried not to cry.

"What was she like?" Stefan asked and Damon smiled.

"She looks like me, if I were a woman and perfect." He said softly. "She smells like soap and apples." Damon smirked. "And she loves you and me more than any other mother could." Damon said and Stefan smiled. "I learned a lot from her for those few minutes I was there."

"Like what?" He asked.

"Hell doesn't exist. When we die, we'll be reunited with her." Damon said softly.

"How is that fair? She was an angel and we have done so many terrible things." Stefan shook his head.

"She told me that our penance is that we'll have to see the faces of those we killed on the spirit plane and they will know it was us." Damon replied and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Oh, god." Stefan gasped.

"Upside?" Damon asked. "She said she will be there with us and help us through it forever." He said and Stefan nodded with a smile.

"It almost sounds alright to die if we get to see her." Stefan said and Damon smirked.

"I feel the same way." He said. "Oh, and she told me you were wise to open your heart to Caroline." Damon smirked and Stefan smiled. "Mother said she will make you happy."

"So our mother likes Caroline?" Stefan grinned.

"She does. A lot." Damon grinned.

"Did she lecture you at all?" Stefan cocked an eyebrow and Damon laughed.

"Her version of a lecture is more like a softly spoken opinion." Damon smirked. "But yeah. She told me no more arm breaking and I've to be nice to Caroline." Damon chuckled. "Tone down the killing a bit and stop blaming you for everything – which I did a while ago... apart from earlier when I was being an ass." Damon replied and Stefan shook his head. He understood.

"What about Ric?" Stefan asked cautiously and Damon sighed.

"She told me that she could only dream of having a love like ours could be." Damon said. "She answered the questions for me that I needed answered." Damon nodded.

"So, you still want to be with him?" Stefan asked for confirmation.

"Yeah, why?" Damon asked and Stefan sighed in relief.

"Because Bonnie called me and told me to pick him up and come to her house. When we got there she told us that she'd done a spell for you and it backfired and you were dead. Alaric was a complete mess. He was devastated because he thought that you died without knowing how much he loves you and how sorry he was for pushing you when you weren't ready even though you never pushed him." Stefan said and Damon felt terrible. He hadn't felt really dead and hadn't thought about his actions when he just up and left Bonnie's like that.

"I'm an ass." Damon muttered. "Do you know where he is?" Damon asked.

"Can't you sense him?" Stefan asked confused.

"No, I think being dead severed our bond." Damon said softly.

"He said he was going home and he would wait for you there until you are ready to talk to him." Stefan replied and Damon sighed.

"I left things really badly." Damon shook his head. "I need to fix it before he hates me." Damon said and Stefan took his hand.

"I don't think he could ever hate you, Damon." Stefan replied and Damon smiled.

"Well, I better go apologise anyway." Damon said then left to go speak to Ric.

* * *

><p>Damon knocked on Ric's door and he heard Ric run to the door then he opened it and sighed in relief. He hugged Damon immediately and Damon hugged him back while inhaling his scent. He felt like such an idiot for the way he'd been feeling before. His mother had managed to straighten out his head for him and he just felt happy to be there with him again.<p>

"I love you." Damon said softly into his neck and Ric's breath hitched.

"I'm sorry." Ric replied. "I didn't know you were feeling that way." Ric said.

"Neither did I." Damon answered honestly. Ric let go of him and the two of them walked over to the couch and sat down. "What a morning." Damon sighed and Ric deadpanned.

"I thought you were dead. It was the worst morning of my life." Ric replied and Damon chuckled. He felt badly for putting Alaric through that but was also touched that Alaric was so upset about his temporary death.

"I survived a werewolf bite; it'll be harder than that to get rid of me." Damon winked and Ric shook his head trying not to laugh.

"You really spoke with your mother?" Ric asked quietly.

"Ric, I can't describe it. She was real. I felt her hug me. She wasn't like a ghost. She was as real as we are right now. The things she told me helped me more than you can ever imagine." Damon said softly. "They were just the things I needed to hear."

"What did she say?" He asked and Damon smiled.

"She said that you are the light in my eternal darkness and I shouldn't live by society's rules and moralities that were forced down my throat as a human." Damon smirked. "She likes you, a lot." Damon grinned.

"She sounds quite awesome." Alaric nodded with a smile.

"Our dead mothers talk to each other. It's all very embarrassing." Damon chuckled.

"That can't be good." Ric smirked then Damon remembered and covered his face again. "What?"

"She said something that made me want to die of embarrassment." Damon said into his hands.

"What?" Ric asked confused.

"She said that she agrees with me... you do look handsome in the blue shirt." Damon winced and Ric burst out laughing nervously.

"Oh, man. That is absolutely mortifying." He said in disbelief and Damon chuckled.

"Isn't it just?" He asked.

"So our mother's are watching us?" Ric asked and Damon nodded.

"I said to her that it was disturbing because there were plenty of things I got up to that I didn't want her knowing about and she just gave me that cocky smirk that I now see why you all hate since I got it from her, and said that she doesn't watch my intimate moments." Damon said and Ric laughed. "I swear I wanted to just crawl into a hole and die." Damon chuckled.

"My mom would say something embarrassing like that too, except she'd add in that it's perfectly normal and give me some big talk about exploring bodies or something." Ric shuddered and Damon laughed.

"I don't see how I can ever have sex again." Damon shook his head and Ric smirked.

"We can just inform them to look away." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"Or get really drunk then we won't care." Damon pointed out and Ric smiled at him.

"Are we okay?" Ric asked softly and Damon turned and kissed him.

"Yes." Damon nodded. "I'm still not calling you 'boyfriend' though." Damon said.

"I don't care. You were right. It only matters what we are to each other." Ric said.

"And can we still look at boobs or something?" Damon asked and Ric laughed heartily.

"Absolutely." He nodded then Damon laughed.

"My mother totally told me off for breaking Mutt's arm." He said and Ric smirked. "I'm 167 years old and I can still get a telling off from my mother... it's bizarre." Damon said.

"That is quite funny." Ric nodded.

"I want to go back." Damon said softly and Ric looked alarmed.

"Go back where?" Ric asked.

"To see her." He said.

"You might not come back next time." Ric said.

"Next time, I'll know how long I can be there." Damon shrugged.

"Just think about it, if I wanted to do this and I might die, how would you feel about that?" Ric asked and Damon sighed.

"You have a point." Damon conceded. "Can you feel that our bond is broken?" Damon asked and Alaric nodded.

"I knew when I didn't feel you wake up." Ric said and Damon sighed.

"At least this way, you know that the feelings are real and not just the blood bond." Damon pointed out.

"I knew they were real all along." Ric replied and Damon smiled widely.

"You still feel the same without it?" Damon asked and Ric nodded.

"I still love a crazy vampire far too much for my own good." Ric smirked and Damon laughed. "But, I miss being able to feel you." He admitted and Damon looked surprised. "I got used to being able to feel you and know when you're near, even if your emotions did give me a headache at first." He said and Damon smirked.

"Why would they give you a headache?" Damon asked curiously.

"Because you feel so many different things in such a short space of time and I swear to god, you must be bipolar." Ric said and Damon laughed.

"You're not the first person to say that." Damon grinned. "I know I'm a nut." Damon smirked.

"True, but you're my nut." Ric said as he wrapped his arms around Damon's neck and pulled him to his chest.

"So are you going to tell me what your mother's message means?" Damon asked into his chest and Ric smiled.

"She always told me that when I found the one for me she would tell me that." Ric said and Damon pulled away in surprise to look at him. "The whole phrase is 'To the world you are one person, to one person you are the world'." Ric said softly. "She said that it summed up true love."

"So she thinks that's how I feel about you?" Damon asked and he nodded. "She's right." Damon nodded.

"You know, on the day after you told me you saw me as more than just a friend, I spent the whole day thinking about if we could do this. I knew that if we started something, it would never just be dating. I knew I would fall into an all consuming love for you and I was almost too afraid to go for it, but I'm glad I did." Ric smiled and Damon hugged into him.

"I'm sorry for being an ass earlier." Damon whispered and Ric shook his head.

"You weren't an ass, for once." Ric laughed and Damon smirked. "You were dealing with something that you couldn't wrap your head around yet." Ric said as he stroked his hair. "If you are ever feeling like that again, you can talk to me about it, Damon." He kissed his head.

"Do you really want to become a vampire?" Damon asked him quietly.

"I want to be with you." Ric said. "You're a vampire, you won't get older, you won't change. I accepted that when we had our first non-date." Ric smiled.

"You don't have to become a vampire to be with me." Damon replied. "You can be human. I would still be with you." Damon said.

"Even if I was old and grey?" Ric asked amused.

"You'll still be my Ric, regardless of how old you are. It won't matter to me." Damon replied and Ric could feel how much he meant it.

"Well." Ric sighed. "That is very romantic of you and all..." Ric said and Damon chuckled. "But I just don't think that 40 years with you will be enough for me." Ric said and Damon grinned.

"Then wait until your year of training is finished." Damon nodded. "Then I'll turn you." Damon said and Ric smiled.

"Deal." Ric agreed.

"Once you're a vampire, we should go see our mothers in the spiritual plane." Damon grinned. "I don't think a human could come back as easily."

"I would love to see her again and I'd love to meet your mother." Ric smiled.

"She's cocky like me." Damon smirked and Ric laughed. "The worst part is you'll probably find her attractive." Damon laughed and Ric looked a bit sceptical. "She died when she was 26. She looks like me, but female and perfect." Damon sniggered.

"She is your mother, dude; I'm not going to find her attractive." Ric said in disbelief.

"You better not. That would just be too weird. And stop calling me 'dude'." Damon smirked. "Can we go to bed now? I'm exhausted." Damon sighed and Ric laughed.

"Sure." He smiled then Damon led him by the hand into the bedroom. Damon stripped off his shirt, boots and jeans then climbed in on his side while Ric did the same. Ric moved to lean over Damon and started to kiss him when Damon pulled away. "What's wrong?" Ric asked curiously and Damon smirked.

"It seems I've found the one time in my life where I'm not in the mood." Damon smirked. "I guess seeing your dead mother for the first time after 158 years can do that to a dead guy." He said and Ric laughed.

"That's definitely a first." Ric chuckled.

"Just lie here with me?" Damon asked and Ric folded himself into Damon's arms and minutes later both were asleep.


	14. Forever is a Long Time

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 14

* * *

><p>Anna and Damon had been viewing buildings and houses in Charlottesville for the last week and both of them were tired of it. Damon had gotten fed up looking at houses and ended up just buying a mansion that was situated just outside the city, surrounded by a couple of acres of woodland. He figured if Ric decided to move in eventually, then there would still be enough room for Anna to be there and Stefan if he decided to come too. Damon had all but given up hope for finding a building for the business when they came across a large one story open plan building that Anna fell in love with. He didn't see the big deal but she assured him it was the place so he bought that too; glad to be done with it.<p>

Elena's birthday party at the boarding house was coming up and Damon was trying to stay as far away from all of it as possible. Stefan and Elena had decided to stay friends, though she was shocked and furious that he was already dating Caroline. Damon was counting down the days until his vacation with Ric since they were leaving a few days after the party. It had been two weeks since his meeting with his mother and things were good between them, though Ric noticed he was now more affectionate but it seemed that he was also less up for the sexual component of their relationship. Ric didn't want to bring it up as he figured things would get back to normal once Damon had a little time to process everything that happened. They hadn't even been feeding from each other as Damon wanted some time with Ric without the blood bond. Ric worried that without it, Damon maybe wasn't as sexually attracted to him as he was with it but again didn't broach the topic with him.

Damon had been spending a lot of time with Anna and Caroline too. It seemed once Damon let go of his bravado and his disdain for everything, he actually got along very well with Caroline. He knew he'd been wrong about her. Two days before Elena's party on her eighteenth birthday, he came into the boarding house after having lunch with Ric at the Grill and went into the living room to find Caroline and Anna sitting on the couch looking through catalogues. He sat down between them and slung an arm over both of them and pulled them into him.

"How are my two favourite girls?" Damon asked and they both smiled at him.

"Bored." Anna said.

"Stressed." Caroline replied and Damon smirked.

"What's so stressful about looking through catalogues?" Damon asked Caroline.

"We're trying to come up with the decor for the office building but all the furniture is hideous." Caroline sighed and he chuckled.

"Since when are you helping with the decor? I'm not having a sparkly pink office, Barbie." Damon smirked and she playfully smacked his chest.

"Like I would ever do that." She said.

"You did mention a lava lamp." Anna pointed out and Damon made a face at Caroline.

"What? They are supposed to be relaxing. You can't just drink all the time to mellow out." She pointed out and he laughed.

"But drinking is fun." He grinned.

"If you're going to be a business owner, you can't also be the resident alcoholic." Caroline countered and Damon pouted.

"And why not?" He asked and Anna laughed.

"Are you drunk now?" Anna asked and he smirked at her.

"I'm always at least a little bit drunk." Damon replied and Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You're impossible." She sighed.

"What does Ric think of you always being a little bit drunk?" Anna asked and Damon smirked.

"I think he's always a little bit drunk too. He can't exactly comment." Damon pointed out.

"You know, I didn't think I would ever say this, but I'm really not looking forward to Elena's party." Caroline sighed and Damon chuckled.

"That's because it'll be crap." Damon replied and Anna scowled at him.

"We spent a lot of time planning this party." Anna said.

"Can you tell me why?" Damon asked. "You used to date her jerk of a brother and she yelled at you and you date her ex boyfriend and she yelled at you too." Damon said. "Why are you going through so much trouble?" He asked and Caroline put her head on his chest.

"I was hoping she would stop being mad at me." Caroline said and Damon snorted.

"AB?" He asked.

"I hadn't planned a party in a really long time." She shrugged and Damon smirked.

"You know what I think?" Damon asked and they both looked at him. "I think we should blow it off and go clubbing instead." He said and they laughed. "I'm really bored. Let's go do something." He suggested.

"Like what?" Anna asked and he shrugged.

"Whatever. I'm easy." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Though, Stefan might oppose a threesome." He smirked and they both hit him. "What? I was just saying."

"Go find your boyfriend if you're horny." Caroline giggled and Damon smirked. Anna didn't say anything as she knew the 'boyfriend' word bothered him even if he didn't show it.

"He's busy doing some boring legal crap with Elena and Jeremy." Damon pouted. "And anyway, do you have any idea how long it's been since I saw boobs?" He said and they both laughed.

"Haven't you seen enough over your long life to just close your eyes and picture them?" Anna asked amused and Damon huffed.

"You can never see enough boobs." Damon said and both of them rolled their eyes at him.

"Are you seriously trying to get my girlfriend to flash you?" Stefan asked as he came in and Damon sighed.

"You just had to come in and spoil it." Damon muttered. "I totally nearly had them agreeing to a threesome." Damon said and Anna laughed.

"You really do live in Damon-land don't you?" Anna asked.

"There would be boobs in Damon-land." He huffed as he took back his arms to cross over his chest.

"Why don't you have a threesome with Alaric and another girl? That way, you aren't cheating and you still get to ogle a girl." Anna smirked and he grinned at her.

"You offering?" He cocked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes.

"No." She shook her head and he sighed.

"Buzz kill." He said and Stefan laughed. "No really, what are we doing today girls?" Damon asked.

"Now, before you say no..." Caroline said to him. "We could go shopping and..." She started and he shrugged.

"Okay." He said and she stared at him in disbelief. "What?" He asked.

"I don't have to talk you into it?" She asked surprised and he smirked.

"No." He said. "I need to buy swim trunks... I could model them for you." He smirked and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Whatever floats your boat, Damon." She giggled and Stefan raised an eyebrow at her. "If he has to go shoe shopping with me, the least I can do is tell him which swim trunks make his butt look better." She giggled and Damon frowned. Shoe shopping with Caroline... What was he doing?

"Coming AB?" Damon asked Anna and she nodded. He was thankful for that. She would keep him sane. "Let's go then." He said and they stood up. He put his jacket on then slung his arms over them both.

"Damon." Stefan warned and Damon turned to smirk at him.

"Looks like I have two girlfriends for the day and you have none." Damon winked and the girls laughed then he walked them out the door while Stefan sighed. He waited until he heard Damon's car drive away then he did what he had to... He tattled.

* * *

><p>Ric walked into the boarding house and met Stefan in the living room.<p>

"So what is the big problem with Damon?" Ric cocked an eyebrow.

"You want a drink or something?" Stefan asked.

"Sure." Ric nodded. "Can I have some coffee?" Ric asked and Stefan nodded. He disappeared into the kitchen and returned minutes later with two mugs of coffee.

"Maybe you should sit." Stefan said and Ric sat down. "He loves you, I know he does." Stefan said and Ric looked amused as he took a sip.

"But?" Ric asked.

"But I think he misses girls." Stefan said apologetically.

"And you're tattling to me because?" Ric smirked.

"He was hitting on Caroline earlier." Stefan said annoyed and Ric laughed. "How can you find this funny?"

"He hits on her in front of me all the time, Stefan." Ric smirked. "It's not like he's hiding anything." He said. "He does it with Anna too. And waitresses, girls in the supermarket, girls at the gas station." Ric laughed. "It's just him." He shrugged.

"Does he ask them to flash him in front of you, too?" Stefan asked annoyed and Ric burst out laughing.

"He actually said that?" Ric laughed. "He's such a horn dog."

"You aren't concerned?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Stefan, when we got together I knew what Damon was like. He eyes up every girl he sees, he always has and always will. I don't expect him to change to be with me." Ric said honestly.

"So you would be okay with him sleeping with girls too?" Stefan asked and Ric sighed.

"I do think it will come to that." Ric nodded. "He hasn't done anything yet but I think he will want to." Ric said. "It doesn't bother me." Ric said and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"How can you be okay with that?" Stefan asked.

"Stefan, you need to understand one thing. Damon and I are both straight. Just because we love each other doesn't mean that our regular urges have gone away." Ric said. "I'm not vocal about it like he is, but I'm feeling the same way." Ric said. "I think we'd both be happier with each other if we saw women at the side. Not in relationships but just physically." Ric said and Stefan stared at him wide eyed.

"Why?" Stefan asked. "Why be together if you can't be everything to each other?"

"Nobody can ever be absolutely everything to one person. There will always be some things missing in every relationship." He shrugged. "Everything else with us is perfect. But honestly, I think Damon and I should talk about this instead of you and I. You don't have anything to worry about with Caroline but you should talk to her about Damon if it's bothering you." Ric said. "But Damon will always be Damon. You just have to accept that." Ric nodded. "Where is he anyway?" Ric asked as he finished the last gulp of his coffee.

"In his words, he took his two girlfriends shopping." Stefan rolled his eyes and Ric laughed.

"He said he needed swim trunks for Australia." Ric nodded.

"Apparently, he wants to model them for the girls." Stefan huffed and Ric chuckled.

"Lucky girls." Ric winked as he stood up and Stefan looked annoyed.

"I thought you would be in my corner for this one." Stefan said and Ric smiled at him.

"I'll always be in Damon's corner. No matter what he does." Ric said. "I'll see you later, Stefan." Ric said then left.

* * *

><p>Damon was in the changing rooms trying on swim trunks while Caroline and Anna waited outside to see them on him. He was in a really good mood so he let them tease him a little by making him try on ridiculously coloured ones.<p>

"Yeah, so not getting these ones." Damon said from the stall.

"You have to show us." Anna laughed and Damon sighed then came out. They both laughed. He had the yellow swim trunks on with a big smiley face on them.

"They are awful." Caroline giggled and Damon smirked.

"I actually do look dead in these." Damon said looking down. The colour made his skin look corpse like.

"Yellow is not your colour." Anna laughed and Damon winked then jumped back into the changing rooms.

"These are better." Damon said then came out wearing plain black board shorts with black laces tying them at the waist.

"I like them." Anna nodded.

"They're kind of boring though." Caroline made a face.

"I only need to swim in them, what does it matter?" Damon asked.

"Fine, let's see the butt." Caroline said and Damon turned around. "Acceptable." She shrugged and Anna laughed.

"My ass is never just acceptable." Damon smirked. "You just want me to get some hippy tie dye crap." He said.

"Just try on the others." Caroline rolled her eyes. Damon came out about a minute later wearing black Quicksilver board shorts with a huge red star on the side. "They are better." She nodded.

"I like them the best so far." Anna nodded and Damon smirked. He and Anna were very similar in their tastes a lot of the time.

"I think the best so far were the Ed Hardy shorts." Caroline said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"They were bright green." Damon said like she had two heads.

"They had similar ones in black, if you really want to go for black, even though it totally washes out your colour." Caroline said annoyed and Damon chuckled.

"I'm dead, Barbie. I have no colour." He pointed out and she sighed loudly.

"If you went for a brighter colour it gives the illusion of being more tanned than you actually are." She countered.

"What about the blue ones with the sharks on them? You didn't hate them, Damon." Anna suggested.

"Will that shut you up?" Damon asked Caroline and she grinned at him. "Fine, I'll get them and the Quicksilver ones." Damon rolled his eyes then went back into the changing room.

"Do you have your other vacation clothes already bought?" Anna asked him.

"What other vacation clothes? I'm not going to dress differently just because I'm in Australia." Damon replied and Caroline took a deep breath so she wouldn't yell at him. "Go ahead, Blondie. I know you're dying to comment." He said then came out fully dressed with the two shorts he was buying.

"You are seriously going to walk about in the blistering heat wearing boots and jeans and a leather jacket." She said in disbelief.

"I'll have my shorts if it gets warm." Damon shrugged.

"And are you going to wear your boots with your shorts?" She asked him and Anna laughed.

"I'm really talking about this right now, aren't I?" He asked Anna in disbelief and she nodded sympathetically at him. "Fine, I'll get some lighter shoes." He huffed and Caroline brightened. Just then Damon's phone rang.

"Sup, geek?" Damon answered with a smirk.

"_Hey, how's shopping going?_" Ric asked and Damon sighed.

"I'm plotting Barbie's death as we speak." Damon replied and Caroline shot him a dirty look. Ric just laughed. "Wait, how did you know I was out shopping?" Damon asked curiously.

"_Stefan._" Ric replied with a sigh and Damon rolled his eyes.

"He ratted me out, didn't he?" Damon asked and Ric chuckled.

"_He did._" Ric replied.

"And? Am I going to get yelled at?" Damon asked and Anna tried not to laugh as did Caroline.

"_I told him to get over it._" Ric said and Damon smiled widely.

"I love you, Alaric." Damon said in a cheeky tone and the girls laughed as they could see his mischievous expression.

"_I know. I was actually calling to see if you could pick me up sunglasses. Mine are broken._" He said and Damon smirked.

"Do you want super sexy ones like my Ray Bans or boring old fart ones like the old ones?" Damon asked and the girls giggled. Only Damon would say something like that.

"_How did they get broken, Damon?_" Ric asked amused.

"It's a mystery." Damon chuckled.

"_Sure it is. I don't care what they look like as long as they work._" Ric said and Damon made a face.

"You're showing your age with comments like that." Damon pointed out and he could just tell Ric was rolling his eyes at him.

"_Says the ancient guy._" Ric replied and Damon smirked.

"You weren't worried about my age yesterday when we were..."

"_Stop!_" Ric exclaimed and Damon laughed.

"Prude."

"_Perv._"

"Geek."

"_Freak._"

"Love you."

"_Love you too._"

"Bye." Damon grinned.

"_Bye, Damon._" Ric laughed and hung up.

"Aww, you two are so cute when you do that." Caroline beamed at him and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's get this shopping hell over with." Damon said as he walked away from her over to the counter to pay.

* * *

><p>Caroline had forced him to buy a few vacation outfits then they went shopping for her and Anna. Damon had enough when Caroline had them in the same shoe shop for over an hour. When he'd finally convinced her to choose something, she paid and once they were out the door, Damon literally picked her up and slung her over his shoulder and walked back to the car despite her protests and Anna's hysterical laughter. Other guys in the mall that were with their girlfriends gave him a sympathetic look – they understood.<p>

After he dropped the girls off, he went to see Ric. Despite all the shopping and the real possibility that he could have staked Caroline in the middle of the mall, he was horny as hell. He hadn't felt that way for weeks but now suddenly was and could think of nobody else than his love. He drove over to Ric's apartment and raced up the steps, through the building to his door with only one thing on his mind. He knocked and waited impatiently for Ric to open. Though he had a key, he didn't feel it would be right to just let himself in all the time. Ric opened the door and before he had a chance to say anything, Damon attacked him. He latched on to Ric's lips and they started making out. Ric knew Damon in this mood and was actually surprised and relieved to see it, considering they hadn't done that much since his meeting with Rosaria. Damon closed the door with his foot and kept kissing Ric while slowly walking them into Ric's bedroom. When they arrived, Damon pushed him down on the bed and took off his and Ric's clothes at supernatural speed before jumping back on him. Damon kissed down Ric's body and swallowed his cock without saying a word. He swirled his tongue in the way he knew Ric liked.

"Damon?" Ric asked though he was finding it difficult to speak.

"Wmmt?" Damon asked without looking up. Ric gathered he meant 'what'.

"What brought this on?" Ric asked and Damon pulled himself up to look at him.

"You seriously want to talk about our feelings like a couple of chicks right now while I'm doing this?" Damon asked in disbelief as he moved up to look Ric in the face.

"Uh..." Ric was kicking himself internally as to why he thought that moment had been opportune to strike up a conversation.

"After my dry spell, you really want to talk _now_?" Damon asked and Ric could see that Damon was having a hard time acknowledging that he actually had a dry spell.

"Actually. No. I don't. Get back down there." Ric said with a little push and Damon smirked at him.

"Ooh, bossy. I like it." Damon quipped then before Ric could comment Damon already had his mouth around him again and he gasped at the sudden sensation as Damon smirked around him. Damon had done this so many times by now that he knew exactly what to do to drive Ric crazy. When he felt Ric's legs tense he slowed his movements, delaying the inevitable and Ric groaned at the loss of his favourite sensations.

"Tease." Ric said and Damon pulled away and stroked him instead.

"You love it." Damon smirked then kissed down Ric's thigh, allowing his face to change. He usually warned Ric when he was going to bite him, but was interested in his reaction. Damon bit down suddenly and Ric gasped in surprise. Damon hadn't bitten him in weeks and he'd almost forgotten the feeling of it, though relief flooded him as he figured it meant Damon was comfortable again, that maybe he'd come to terms with everything completely now. He was also really looking forward to getting their bond back. Damon pulled back seconds later and looked at Ric with pure betrayal in his eyes. "Vervain." He whispered then passed out. Ric sat up with wide eyes. How could he possibly have vervain in his system? He'd stopped drinking it before they were even together. Damon was half hanging off the bed so Ric pulled him up and put the cover over him, put on his own boxers and went into the kitchen. He went to the fridge and got a blood bag from Damon's stash that he kept there for when he was there and brought it back to the bedroom. He figured that Damon wouldn't be out for long since he hadn't managed to drink too much. He put the blood bag in Damon's hand for when he woke up. He racked his brain to figure out how he had vervain in his system... Had he eaten or drank anything that someone had given him? He paced the room then his head snapped up in realisation.

Stefan. Stefan had given him coffee. It must have been Stefan. It couldn't have happened at lunch in the Grill. They didn't put vervain in their drinks or food, though they probably should. He was suddenly furious at the younger Salvatore. That look Damon had given him had been horrible. In that moment before he lost consciousness, Damon thought that he'd done it. He was beyond livid and decided to call Stefan and give him a piece of his mind. He hoped that Damon would give him the chance to explain. He looked through his clothes that were on the floor until he found his phone and dialled Stefan's number. He rang his phone a few times with no answer which only pissed him off more so he called Caroline.

"_Hey Alaric._" She answered happily.

"Caroline, are you with Stefan?" Alaric asked as calmly as he could.

"_Sure, want to talk to him?_" She asked.

"Yes." Alaric said and he could hear Stefan sigh in the background.

"_Alaric._"

"You spiked me with vervain!" Alaric shouted at him. "Then you're too much of a coward to pick up the phone?"

"_Damon deserved it._" Stefan replied annoyed. "_And my phone's in my room._"

"You son of a bitch!" Alaric yelled. "How the hell am I supposed to explain to Damon that it wasn't me? Huh? Did you think of that, Stefan? That you tricked me into doing your dirty work?" He said hoping that Stefan would feel guilty.

"_No, I didn't really think it through. I'm sorry, I was angry._" Stefan said and Alaric could tell that he really was sorry.

"In the future, if you have a problem with him, talk to Damon about it yourself! Don't be a fucking child about it! And I swear to god if you ever use me like that again, I'll find a way to stake your juvenile ass!" Ric snapped and hung up. He'd been pacing the living room during his conversation. He was so beyond furious. If this is how Damon felt when he snapped and killed people he could completely understand. This had been the first day that Damon had been completely back to normal with him and he was angry Stefan had ruined it. He had no idea how much this would set them back. He turned to go back into the bedroom to find Damon standing there leaning against the wall, sipping the blood bag with a smirk on his face. "Are you alright?" Ric asked cautiously.

"I'm fine. I heard all of your conversation, I know it wasn't you." Damon said. "I'll deal with Stefan later." He shrugged and Ric sighed in relief. "I know you wouldn't do that to me anyway." Damon said and Ric smiled.

"I wouldn't." He shook his head. "Not even if I was majorly pissed at you." Ric chuckled.

"I have to say, it was very hot how you ripped Stefan a new one." Damon smirked.

"Yeah, well. If I had your strength, I would physically do it." Ric shrugged and Damon chuckled. He was about to say something else when he noticed blood flowing quite steadily from Ric's leg. Ric seemingly hadn't noticed yet and Damon realised he must have punctured the artery and Ric would bleed out if he didn't get some vampire blood.

"Shit." Damon said then bit into his wrist and Ric looked down and was surprised. He'd been so caught up in his anger that he hadn't noticed. Damon walked towards him and offered Ric his wrist. Ric swallowed down the blood and sighed in content. He'd missed Damon's blood. He figured that a regular human would have been weirded out at just how much he liked it, but it tasted like Damon and that was the allure. After a few moments he pulled away when he felt the wound starting to heal. His leg and his boxers were covered in blood and he sighed.

"Thanks." Ric said and Damon smiled at him. "I'm going to go shower and wash that off." Ric said and walked towards the bathroom and went inside. A moment later he popped his head out and he had a mischievous expression on his face. "Coming?" He asked and Damon smirked at him then walked in after him after discarding his bag. Ric started the water and pulled off his boxers, putting them in the hamper. Damon did the same and they both climbed over the tub to stand under the water. Ric pushed him against the shower wall and Damon cocked an eyebrow at him. Ric was never normally forceful like him at all. "You feeling better yet?" Ric asked with a little smirk of his own and Damon grinned.

"What vervain?" Damon asked and Ric kissed him. He held onto either side of Damon's face as their tongues battled. Damon pulled Ric closer so he was flush against him. He could feel Ric hardening as well as himself. It seemed his sexy mood wasn't ruined by the vervain and he was thankful for that. Ric decided to take full advantage of Damon's mood and moved to kiss his neck. He playfully bit his neck and Damon moaned. Damon reached down to grab Ric but grabbed his arms and pinned them above his head. Damon could easily break out of it if he really wanted to but he was interested in where this was going. "What are you doing Mr Saltzman?" Damon smirked.

"You're not allowed to use your vampire strength right now." Ric said as he kissed Damon's neck, still pinning his arms above him.

"And why is that?" Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"Because, I'm going to have my way with you." Ric whispered against his skin and Damon shuddered, growing harder if that were possible.

"What are you going to do?" Damon hissed as Ric rubbed against him causing the briefest moment of friction for his aching cock. Ric ran his fingernails up Damon's side as he licked up from his collar bone to his earlobe.

"I'm going to lick you." Ric said in a husky voice. "I'm going to bite you." Ric said then nipped Damon's ear receiving a groan in return. "I'm going to suck you then fuck you." Ric said and Damon's breath hitched but before he could reply, Ric was kissing him again while he scratched up the side of Damon's back and Damon moaned into his mouth.

"I need you now." Damon said into Ric's mouth and Ric bit Damon's bottom lip. "I only have so much will power." Damon said to him, though he still had his arms up over his head.

"What do you want?" Ric asked into his mouth as he ran a finger gently up Damon's shaft, teasing him and Damon shuddered visibly.

"I want..." Damon started then trailed off.

"Tell me what you want." Ric smirked as he kissed him.

"I want you to..." Damon gasped as Ric cupped his balls.

"Yes?" Ric chuckled at Damon coming undone in front of him as he teased him with his hands, without giving him anywhere near the stimulation needed for release.

"You're trying to kill me." Damon muttered and Ric laughed then pushed himself against Damon so that their cocks rubbed against each other a little before pulling back. He was desperate for release himself but was far too entertained to stop his little game.

"Just tell me what you want me to do to you, Damon." Ric smiled into Damon's neck as Damon started panting. Damon really wanted Ric to go down on him but he'd never done it before and he didn't want to push him... But this was getting too much for him.

"Blow me." Damon said quietly and Ric chuckled. He knew why Damon was reluctant to say it but he'd wanted to do it for a while and didn't have the nerve until now.

"Keep your arms up." Ric instructed.

"Why?" Damon gasped.

"Because I said so." Ric smirked then licked and bit down Damon's chest as he slowly crouched in front of him as he let his arms go. When he was down on his knees, Damon watched as Ric reached around and grabbed his ass cheeks then bent forward and ran his tongue from his base to his tip. Damon felt his eyes roll back into his head as he closed his eyes. Ric swirled his tongue around Damon's tip before tightening his jaw and slamming his mouth down, taking Damon into him in one move.

"Fuck!" Damon hissed at the sudden tightness. Ric bobbed back and forth, moving his tongue around at different tempos until he figured out what Damon liked best. Damon was pressed completely against the wall with his arms still up, because Ric said so, and he was sure if he tried to move, he would fall over. His legs were like jelly from all the teasing and he was panting despite himself. "I'm going to cum." He hissed and Ric increased his tempo until Damon exploded in his mouth and Ric swallowed him down. Ric was surprised at how not weird the experience was for him and when Damon was finished riding out his orgasm, Ric climbed back up his body and kissed him.

"Can you go again?" Ric asked with a smirk as Damon was slumped against the wall, looking completely undone but he managed to nod. Ric stuck his hand out of the shower to pick up a bottle of lubricant that he kept there and lathered himself up. He rinsed his hands under the shower stream then kissed Damon again. He cupped Damon's ass with his hands as they kissed, then to Damon's complete surprise, Ric picked him up by the ass, pushing him further up the wall and Damon wrapped his legs around Ric's waist and held onto his shoulders. Damon was shocked at Ric's apparent upper body strength. Ric manoeuvred Damon so that his entrance was lined up against his cock. "Ready?" Ric asked against his cheek and Damon nodded. Ric pushed into him slowly. Damon was used to the feeling by now but it still hurt a bit at first. Ric gave him a moment to get used to the feeling again before pulling out and thrusting back into him.

"Fuck!" Damon murmured then he hardened again. Ric changed his position slightly so that every time he moved into Damon, Damon's cock rubbed against Ric's stomach. Ric moved his hands to Damon's waist and started to guide his body up and down until he was going fast and hard and Damon whimpered but from pleasure, not pain. Damon came again moments later but Ric kept going, knowing that Damon would be up again in no time and he was. Damon's back slid up and down the shower wall as Ric thrust into him. He held onto Ric's shoulders and leaned forward so that he was embracing Ric completely. Damon was so shocked that Ric could support his total weight but was in far too much pleasure to dwell on the thought. Ric playfully bit into Damon's neck which was enough to send Damon into yet another orgasm and as he clenched around Ric, Ric came too. He leaned against Damon who was still wrapped around him and just stood there for a moment before allowing himself to slide out. Damon didn't make any indication that he would move his legs and Ric chuckled.

"You okay?" Ric smirked into Damon's neck. Damon's cheek was still on Ric's shoulder and his arms still wrapped tightly around him.

"I literally don't think I could stand right now." Damon said and Ric smiled. Ric held onto Damon tightly then stopped the shower. He awkwardly stepped out of the shower and carried Damon into his bedroom, not caring that they were both wet. He allowed himself to fall backwards so that Damon would still be on top of him when they hit the bed, then he pulled the cover up over them. Damon moved his legs since they were still wrapped around Ric's waist, to in between Ric's legs and just lay there on top of him.

"You have never been this quiet before." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked into his shoulder.

"I have no brain capacity at the moment." Damon replied and Ric grinned.

"So, was I any good?" Ric asked amused and Damon laughed.

"That's the best sex I've ever had." Damon replied. "The rest don't even compare to that." He said and Ric smiled widely. "I can't even move." Damon chuckled.

"I'm proud to have reduced Damon Salvatore to jelly." Ric chuckled and Damon smiled.

"That's no easy feat either." He pointed out. "This is going to sound like a pick up line, but have you been working out?" Damon asked and Ric laughed.

"Not to take away from your scary vampire status, but you're surprisingly light weight." Ric said with a chuckle.

"I can't believe you actually picked me up like that, it was so... unbelievably hot." Damon said and Ric smiled.

"I'll remember that for another time." Ric smirked. "How long will it be until you can feed from me again?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled.

"Vampire groupie." Damon said and Ric laughed.

"I would only let you do it." Ric said and Damon smiled.

"My blood should dissolve it quickly... couple of hours, maybe?" Damon asked. "Why?"

"So we can go again." Ric shrugged and Damon laughed.

"You really are trying to kill me." Damon said and Ric smirked.

"This coming from the guy who can have sex all day, apparently." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"That was true, but I don't last as long with you." Damon replied. "I could go all day with a chick." He said. "But you get me all riled up much quicker." He said and Ric smiled.

"Good to know." He replied and Damon frowned.

"What did Stefan say?" Damon asked. Ric knew he meant earlier when Stefan spiked him.

"He called me and said that there was a big problem with you and he could only talk to me about it, so of course I was worried and went over." Ric replied. "I went in and sat down and he told me that he knows you love me but that you miss girls." Ric smirked. "Then he told me you wanted Caroline to flash you and I laughed of course which only made him mad." Ric said and Damon smirked.

"I didn't actually ask her to flash me, I jokingly said that I was bored and what were we doing for the day then suggested that the girls have a threesome with me." Damon said and Ric chuckled.

"Fair enough. Then I told Stefan that it's just you being you and he tried to hint that you were going to cheat on me with girls and I told him that it was a conversation for you and me to have, not him and I." He shrugged.

"I'm not going to cheat on you." Damon said annoyed. "I seriously hate Stefan sometimes." Damon added.

"I miss girls too, Damon." Ric said and Damon turned to look at him in surprise. "Don't look so surprised."

"I am surprised though... you never say anything about it." Damon replied.

"Do you remember that conversation we had, the night you first kissed me?" Ric asked and Damon nodded with a chuckle. "I said that with us it wouldn't be flowers and dancing?"

"Yeah, so?" Damon asked curiously. He was intrigued as to where Ric would go with this.

"We can make our relationship whatever we want it to be. Have whatever rules we want." Ric replied and Damon looked confused.

"You want an open relationship?" Damon asked and Ric chuckled.

"No, not exactly. It'll be just you and me but I think it would solve a lot of problems and be healthy for us to occasionally sleep with women." Ric said and Damon gaped at him.

"How is that not an open relationship?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Because open relationships mean that if you wanted to you could be in multiple relationships and I don't want you or I to have feelings for anyone else." Ric shrugged. "Just the odd physical encounter." He said and Damon furrowed his eyebrows while he thought about it.

"Is sex with me not enough?" Damon asked quietly and Ric felt bad. He took Damon's face in his hands and kissed him.

"It's the best ever, but answer this for me: Do you think you want to be with me forever?" Ric asked and Damon looked at him like he was stupid.

"Of course." Damon said.

"You plan on turning me next year, right?" Ric asked and Damon nodded. "So say hypothetically, we live forever... Do you really want to never have sex with a woman again for all of eternity?" Ric asked and Damon's mouth slammed shut.

"I see your point." Damon nodded.

"I love you and I don't see myself ever loving anyone else." Ric said softly. "But it's a little unrealistic if we only have sex with each other forever." Ric said and Damon nodded.

"So what are the rules then?" Damon asked curiously.

"What about one night a month, we go out and hook up?" Ric shrugged.

"No phone numbers, no girls we know." Damon added and Ric nodded.

"No seeing them again." Ric said.

"No talking about it afterwards." Damon said.

"Why?" Ric asked surprised and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I agree with you on this that it would be good for us but that doesn't mean I want to have to think about anyone else touching you." Damon replied and Ric smiled at him.

"I don't want to think about anyone else touching you either." Ric said.

"So, when do you want to do this then?" Damon asked.

"Why don't we try it out in Australia and just see how it goes?" He suggested.

"Okay." Damon agreed. "At least I'll get to see some boobs soon then." He smirked and Ric laughed.

"Agreed." He grinned.

* * *

><p>Damon left the apartment a few hours later and returned to the boarding house. They'd spent the rest of their time together just lying there talking and watching a movie. Damon was thoroughly spent from their shower time together and kept replaying it in his mind. It was unbelievable and he couldn't wait until Ric decided to be all bossy like that again. He had decided that Stefan's punishment would be that he would tell Caroline that Stefan cheated on Elena with Katherine. Damon knew plenty of things about Stefan that Stefan didn't want the rest of them to know and it would be a reminder to Stefan to never try something like that again. He walked in and Elena and Bonnie were there too, talking about the party and Damon smirked. It couldn't be any better!<p>

"Damon." Stefan said apprehensively. Damon figured that Stefan called Bonnie to be there in case he tried to kill him or something.

"Stefan." Damon smirked and Stefan looked even more afraid as Damon walked past him to his drinks cart. He poured himself a drink then sniffed the glass. "Did you spike this too?" Damon asked him casually and Stefan looked really worried. He knew Damon was going to do something for revenge.

"No." Stefan replied.

"You see, Stefan, I'm not mad that you spiked me with vervain." Damon said casually. "It was only a small amount and I was only out for a few minutes. You've done way worse in the past." Damon smirked and Stefan stood up.

"I'm sorry, Damon. I was just paranoid." Stefan said walking towards him.

"Yet, Caroline knew I was joking." Damon pointed out.

"He always jokes, Stefan. You shouldn't have done that." Caroline said angrily and Damon was pleased that she was sticking up for him but it also made him feel guilty about telling her about Katherine... It would hurt her and he didn't want to hurt her so he settled for a threat instead.

"The thing that pissed me off, Stefan is that you used Ric. By doing so you could have caused an issue, not that you did because I actually trust him." Damon said too calmly and all three girls held their breath. They knew that when it came to Ric, Damon was unstable. Before they registered any movement, Damon was behind Stefan covering his mouth with his steel grip while disabling Stefan's arms. Stefan hadn't even been able to prepare for the movement. The girls stared wide eyed. "I think you all know how protective I am of Ric and you certainly do, Stef." Damon said leaning his chin on Stefan's shoulder. "Do you remember the day of your graduation, that little piece of information you didn't know I knew about?" Damon asked and Stefan's eyes widened and he nodded. "I'm considering singing like a canary about it." Damon said and Stefan shook his head in an attempt to stop Damon. "But, I'm not going to, but not for you, for Blondie." Damon said. "But, if you cross me again when it comes to Ric, I'll sing about that and every other thing you don't want known. Nod if you understand me, Stefan." Damon said authoritatively and Stefan nodded. "Good, now that we have that covered." Damon smirked and let Stefan go. Stefan turned around, probably to plead with Damon not to say anything but Damon punched him full force in the face with a sickening crack and he went flying across the room and landed in a cupboard, smashing it to pieces. "Much better." Damon nodded then went back to his drink. Just to piss Stefan off, he sat next to Caroline and put his arm around her then winked at her as Stefan stood up and brushed the dust and debris off him and she tried not to laugh.

"I deserved that." Stefan said glumly and Damon smirked at him.

"You did." Caroline said surprising both of them.

"But for future reference, Stefan. I am not trying to steal your girlfriend." Damon said. "I am quite happy with her being just my friend... that I ogle sometimes." He chuckled and Caroline playfully smacked him. "You seem to forget I have my own... uh... Ric." Damon said awkwardly and Caroline looked at him curiously. She noticed he never called him anything like boyfriend or anything like that. She made a mental note to talk to him about that later.

"What are you going to bring me from Australia?" Caroline chirped, changing the subject and Damon chuckled.

"A really skimpy bikini." Damon replied and she rolled her eyes as Stefan sighed.

"I have skimpy bikinis." Caroline said and Damon turned to look at her.

"Really now? I think it's only fair you show me, since I modelled my trunks for you." Damon smirked and Bonnie laughed.

"When did that happen?" Bonnie asked amused.

"Earlier when Vampire Barbie and I went shopping." Damon shrugged and Bonnie gaped at him.

"You went shopping with her and you didn't kill her? I'm impressed. You are getting better." She said and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, but when it was nearly at that point I threw her over my shoulder and left the mall." Damon said and Stefan, Elena and Bonnie burst out laughing.

"It's not funny! I wasn't finished." Caroline huffed and Damon kissed her cheek.

"If you're a good little vampire I might bring you back clothes and shoes instead of bikinis." Damon said softly to her with a smile and she brightened and leaned into his chest.

"Yay! I'll write down my sizes for you." She grinned and he rolled his eyes.

"I know your sizes, my dear." Damon said.

"I forgot you used to shop for me when we were 'dating'." She used her fingers to annunciate 'dating'.

"He did?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"I'm not a total monster." Damon rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe 99% monster, but there is still that 1% left." He smirked. "Oh, crap. I forgot Ric's sunglasses." Damon sighed.

"So you're going back to the mall tomorrow?" Caroline grinned at him and he sighed.

"Yes, you can come." He said and she grinned. "But, I will carry you out again if you piss me off or try to get me to buy anything stupid." He said to her in warning and she nodded.

"Your terms are acceptable." She replied and they jokingly shook hands.

"Wait, where's AB?" Damon asked just noticing her absence.

"She's on a date." Caroline grinned and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"With who?" Damon asked curiously.

"She doesn't want you to know." Caroline replied.

"Why? Will I kill him?" Damon asked casually and Bonnie deadpanned.

"You might." Caroline nodded.

"Tell me it isn't Mutt." Damon said annoyed.

"It's not Matt." Caroline assured him.

"Better not be Lockwood." Damon said and Caroline didn't reply. "It's fucking Lockwood, isn't it?" Damon yelled as he stood up and Caroline sighed.

"It's just a date, Damon. It's not like they're getting married." Caroline said and he frowned.

"AB is not going out with Lockwood." Damon warned then sped out of the house.

"Crap." Caroline said.

"He isn't actually going to kill Tyler, right?" Elena asked wide eyed.

"Apparently our mother told him to protect her." Stefan said.

"We need to stop him." Bonnie exclaimed.

"We can't. But Ric can." Caroline said fishing out her phone. She dialled Ric's number and waited for him to answer.

"_Hey, Caroline._" Ric answered.

"Ric, you need to stop Damon!" Caroline replied.

"_What's going on?_" He asked alarmed.

"He just found out that Anna is on a date with Tyler." Caroline said.

"_Oh,no._" Ric sighed and hung up.


	15. Back on Track

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 15

* * *

><p>Damon was nearly at the Grill when his phone rang. He was going to ignore it but it might be Ric... So he looked and it was.<p>

"Hey lover." Damon said seductively and Ric laughed.

"_So you haven't gone homicidal on the wolf yet?_" Ric asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Who called you?" Damon asked curiously.

"_Caroline._" He replied.

"I wish they'd all stay out of it." Damon huffed.

"_Don't you think Anna will feel the same way?_" Alaric asked.

"Of course, that's why I'm just randomly popping in to the Grill for a drink. I had no idea she would be there." Damon smirked and Ric sighed.

"_Why don't you come back over instead?_" Ric asked.

"I will. After I've been in the Grill." Damon smirked.

"_I'll make it worth your while..._" Ric said and Damon laughed.

"Next time it's my turn to have my way with you." Damon pointed out and Ric chuckled.

"_Just don't do anything stupid. Please, Damon. Things are going well right now._" He said and Damon sighed.

"Yes, dear." He said sarcastically. "I'll be over soon." Damon replied and hung up before Ric could say anything else. He knew yelling at Annabelle would have no effect and she would just be angry so he decided on a different tactic... Instead of showing her how angry he was he opted instead to show how hurt he really felt about it. He casually sauntered into the Grill and went straight to the bar without looking around and ordered himself a drink as he took a seat. He waited for his drink to come as he stared absently at the counter. His drink arrived and he took a few sips when he heard his name. He snapped his head to the side and saw Anna and Tyler looking at him. He forced his jaw to drop then he put down his drink on the counter and threw money down next to it. Looked at Anna one last time and the hurt that showed on his face was real as he did feel betrayed by her going out with Lockwood. Not that he would tell the rest of the crew that. Then he walked straight out of the Grill. Moments later he was stopped by a sharp tug at his arm and he whirled round to see Anna.

"Damon, I can explain." Anna said quickly and Damon just stared at her.

"Don't." Damon said quietly and turned to leave again when she grabbed his arm again.

"Damon, please." She said softly and he turned to look at her.

"You're my best friend." He said to her, his tone revealing his hurt.

"You're my best friend too. I didn't think you would mind." She said honestly.

"I nearly died because of him. I nearly died because of his uncle. Then his uncle's death made me nearly die again along with Caroline and Stefan. Werewolves are bad news." Damon said. "I know you're a hell of a lot older than me and you can take care of yourself, but I trusted you." Damon said shakily and Anna's jaw dropped.

"I'm sorry." She said to him.

"Too late." He replied then took off at vampire speed, knowing she could catch him if she wanted to but he hoped she would leave him alone. At first he had been furious at her but now he was just hurt. So he went to the only person he knew he could trust forever.

* * *

><p>Ric opened the door to find a defeated looking Damon.<p>

"You know you have a key." Ric replied and Damon shrugged and walked in.

"I'm not just going to waltz into your place every day." Damon replied.

"Why not? I waltz, as you put it, into the boarding house." Ric pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"Fair enough, I'll use the key then." Damon replied and sat down on the couch.

"What happened?" Ric asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Damon huffed and Ric sat beside him and pulled Damon's head into his chest as he played with the ends of his hair.

"Don't give me that crap." Ric replied and Damon chuckled. Damon liked that Ric always called him on his shit.

"Besides you, she's my best friend." Damon said. "And don't start with the friend thing because you know what I mean." Damon warned. "I'm just hurt, I guess." Damon said and Ric nodded.

"So you didn't kill him?" Alaric checked.

"Obviously, not." Damon replied. "I do have a modicum of restraint, you know." He added. "Well, most of the time." He smirked.

"Did you tell her how you felt or did you just yell at her?" Ric asked.

"She got the message of how I feel about this." Damon replied.

"Maybe she's just lonely, Damon." Ric said.

"How can she be lonely? She spends all of her time with you, me, Barbie and Stef."

"Yeah, two couples." Ric pointed out and Damon huffed.

"You just mean she's horny." Damon replied. "She can screw anyone, why him?" Damon asked.

"Are you jealous?" Ric asked softly and Damon laughed.

"Are you kidding me right now?" He asked as he pulled away from Ric.

"It was just a question." Ric shrugged.

"No. I'm not. That's the equivalent of me going on a date with Katherine, you know if I hadn't known her before. Anna hates Katherine and she would never trust me again if I took up with her." Damon replied and Ric nodded.

"Okay, I see your point." Ric said.

"I'm hungry." Damon huffed and Ric laughed.

"Won't the vervain be gone from my blood now?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"Why don't we find out?" Damon smirked and quickly straddled Ric. He unbuttoned Ric's shirt and slid it over his shoulders before discarding his own jacket on the floor. Ric slid his arms around Damon's waist just in the off chance it wasn't gone. He didn't want him to fall on the floor and split his head open, regardless if he would heal or not. Ric tilted his head to the side providing Damon access to his neck. Damon kissed the area for a minute before allowing his fangs to break the soft skin there. Damon stupidly gulped down the blood instead of just tasting it then had to pull away. "Not again." Damon muttered then slumped over Ric, passing out on the spot and Ric sighed. He lay Damon down on the couch and went to retrieve a blood bag for him when there was a knock at the door. He opened it and it revealed Anna.

"Hey." Ric smiled.

"Hey, Ric. Sorry to bother you, is Damon here?" She asked.

"Uh... sort of. Come in." Alaric said and she smiled at him and walked inside to see Damon passed out on the couch.

"What happened?" She asked. She either didn't register that Ric was shirtless or she couldn't care less.

"Stefan spiked me with vervain earlier and Damon wanted to see if it was out of my system yet, but clearly it wasn't." Ric replied and Anna chuckled.

"Care and I went nuts at Stefan for that." She said.

"Damon's really hurt, Anna." Alaric said softly and she sighed.

"I know. I didn't really think it through. I was just bored at the grill one day when you two were out to dinner and Stefan and Care were watching a movie and he asked me if I wanted to play pool. So I did. Then we just had fun hanging out." She shrugged. "He comes across as a nice guy underneath it all." She said.

"He is, but Damon doesn't see it that way." Ric replied and she nodded. She walked over to where Damon was passed out on the couch and perched next to him while Ric retrieved another blood bag for him. Minutes later, Damon groggily stirred and started to open his eyes to be met with Anna.

"Can't a guy be vervained in peace?" He complained and Anna smiled at him.

"You okay?" She asked him as she moved away some hair from his face.

"Peachy." He replied and she rolled his eyes.

"Tyler doesn't want to see me anymore." She said softly to him and Damon looked confused.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because you're my best friend. He thinks you'll kill him and it would be better if we didn't hang out anymore." She explained and Damon looked affronted.

"What a fucking coward!" Damon exclaimed. "I'd never do that to you." Damon sighed. Then he felt like an ass. Anna deserved some happiness in her life and if she liked Tyler, then he would just have to accept that.

"Damon, don't take this the wrong way but you're a scary guy. The thought of you having a vendetta against someone is a truly chilling thought." She replied and Damon huffed. She wasn't wrong. Damon sat up and Ric handed him a blood bag. He gulped it down in seconds then threw his jacket on.

"I'll be back in a minute." Damon scowled at Anna before disappearing out the door.

"What is he doing now?" Anna sighed and Ric smiled at her.

"He's going to fix things with Tyler for you." Ric said and she looked at him in confusion.

"How do you know?" She asked.

"I know him well. He adores you and just wants you to be happy." Ric said.

* * *

><p>Damon got to the Grill just as Tyler was walking out and he smirked. Tyler's eyes widened and a look of pure fear crossed his face. He remembered what Damon was like when he went after Matt and he had never feared anyone as much as he feared Damon Salvatore.<p>

"Just the wolf I wanted to see." Damon quipped.

"I didn't know she was your best friend." Tyler held up his hands in surrender and Damon smirked at him.

"Come on." Damon nodded towards the alley and Tyler's jaw dropped. He wasn't ready to die.

"Please, I'll leave her alone." Tyler replied.

"Are you coming or am I going to have to drag you?" Damon asked. He could hear Tyler's heart beat pounding from fear and couldn't help enjoy it a little bit. He turned his back on the wolf and walked into the alley. "Lockwood, I haven't got all night." Damon said and Tyler sighed and walked after him. There was no point in trying to run. Damon would find him anywhere.

"Just make it quick." Tyler said defeated and Damon chuckled.

"Chill out, wolf cub. I'm not going to kill you." Damon said as he leaned against a wall and eyed Tyler. Tyler could tell that Damon was the ultimate predator the way he was sizing him up.

"Then why did you want me to come into the alley?" Tyler asked confused and Damon smirked.

"My own amusement?" Damon asked with a chuckle and Tyler looked even more afraid if that were possible. He knew Damon was a couple of cards short of a full stack but this was too much.

"I told Anna we couldn't see each other anymore." He said and Damon scowled at him.

"I know. That's why I'm here." Damon replied. "Don't you think if I had intentions to kill you I would have done so already? I'm not the patient type." Damon said.

"You're confusing me, dude." Tyler said and Damon shot him a dark look.

"Do not call me dude again." Damon warned and Tyler's eyes widened and he nodded. "Do you actually like AB or is she just another in a long line of your escapades?" Damon asked.

"She's awesome. We've only hung out a few times but I do like her." Tyler said.

"Then call her and rearrange your date. Tell her you're sorry for being a coward. I want her to be happy even if it is with you of all things." Damon said and Tyler was beyond shocked.

"Uh..."

"But, I have two conditions." Damon said. "One, you will be as far away from her as possible on the full moon and two, if you purposely hurt her, you'll deal with me. Is that clear?" Damon asked.

"Yes." Tyler nodded.

"Good. Now call her." Damon said.

"Right now?" Tyler asked.

"I want to hear you apologise to her. She's obviously lost her mind and actually likes you." Damon said. Tyler got out his phone and called her.

* * *

><p>Anna and Ric were sitting having a drink, waiting for Damon to come back when her phone rang and it was Tyler. She was a little nervous but answered anyway.<p>

"Hey." She said quietly.

"_Anna, I'm really sorry for jumping to conclusions like that. I really like you and I'd like to see you again if you'll give me a second chance._" Tyler said to her and she smiled at Ric.

"Is Damon with you?" She asked curiously.

"_He was but he just disappeared._" Tyler said surprised.

"Sure, I'll go out with you again." She smiled.

"_Great! You free tomorrow night?_" He asked.

"Same time and place?" She replied.

"_Can't wait._"

"See you then." Anna grinned and hung up.

"So was I right?" Ric asked curiously with a smirk.

"You were." Anna nodded with a grin. Just then they heard the key in the lock and Damon came in the door. Anna ran over to him and hugged him. "I love you, Salvatore!" She exclaimed and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." He said.

"Thank you." She smiled at him.

"As long as he sticks to my rules, he'll keep howling at the moon." Damon shrugged and Anna narrowed her eyes.

"What rules?" She asked and he smirked.

"Nothing for you to worry about, my dear." He kissed her cheek then went over to Ric who handed him a drink.

"You do know I'm centuries older than you, right?" Anna smirked and he shrugged.

"What's your point, AB?" He cocked his head to the side and she laughed. That was one thing she both loved and hated about Damon. He didn't fear anything, regardless of someone's advantage over him.

"Just drink your drink and shut up." She rolled her eyes and he smirked at her.

"You still haven't told me if we're blowing off the party to go clubbing." Damon said and she sighed.

"No, we're not." She said.

"I'm not going." Damon scoffed and Ric shot him a look.

"Damon, it's her eighteenth birthday." Ric said. "It's something to celebrate."

"I'm only celebrating the fact that I get you to myself after it." Damon replied as he sat down next to Anna and threw an arm over her shoulder.

"I'm going to be so bored with you two in Australia." She laughed.

"Why don't you come with us?" Ric asked her surprising both her and Damon. Damon had totally wanted to ask her but was worried that Ric would be annoyed.

"I can't invade on your couple's vacation." She replied.

"You wouldn't be." Damon shrugged. "And the plane does have spare seats." Damon pointed out.

"How do you know? You booked your tickets a while ago." Anna replied confused and Damon smirked.

"It was supposed to be a surprise, but I hired a private jet." Damon said and Ric's jaw dropped.

"Are you nuts?" Ric asked.

"It's like a 20 hour flight, Ric. I get crabby on planes; believe me you don't want me around all of those people for 20 hours crammed in a tiny seat." Damon replied and both Anna and Ric laughed. "And it means I can take blood on the plane." He shrugged.

"You two really wouldn't mind?" Anna asked cautiously.

"Nope." Damon said. "I think it'll be fun." He grinned.

"How many seats are on the plane?" Ric asked curiously.

"Eight, why?" Damon asked.

"Why don't we ask Caroline and Stefan to go too?" Ric asked and Damon's jaw dropped.

"What about just Barbie?" Damon asked. "Just you, me and the girls?" He asked.

"I'm still pissed at him too, but I think he'll be mad if you take away his girlfriend for a month to go down under." Ric chuckled.

"That would be a fun revenge though." Damon countered.

"I don't think he'd trust you to have her with you for a month." Anna chuckled.

"He doesn't have to trust me, he has to trust her." Damon replied. "And regardless, he doesn't own her. She can make her own decisions." Damon smirked and got his phone out. He dialled number 3 on his speed dial and she answered.

"_Hey, is Tyler still alive?_" She answered cautiously and Damon chuckled.

"No, his body is in the ravine if you want to tell your mother." Damon replied and she gasped while Anna smacked his arm.

"_Damon!_" She replied shocked and he started to laugh.

"Calm down, Barbie. The wolf is fine for now." Damon smirked.

"_Thank god! You scared the life out of me!_" She said.

"That's not technically possible with you being dead already." Damon said and he heard her cluck her tongue in annoyance and he laughed.

"_You know what I mean, jackass._" She said and he smirked.

"Barbie, can you come over to Ric's? Without your stupid boyfriend, please?" Damon asked and she laughed. Damon figured Stefan was scowling.

"_Why?_" She asked.

"A gang bang, obviously." Damon replied and Ric rolled his eyes.

"_I'll be over in a few minutes, okay?_" She asked and Damon laughed.

"I have to say, I'm pleased that you're so eager, Barbie. My brother not satisfying you?" Damon asked and Anna burst out laughing.

"_Shut up, Damon. I know we aren't doing that._" She said and Damon smirked.

"And how do you know that?" He asked curiously.

"_Because, Ric would be pissed at you for taking advantage of me._" She replied and Damon laughed as did Anna.

"Touché, Barbie." Damon grinned.

"_I know. See you soon._" She said then hung up. Damon smiled to himself. He did really kind of adore the bubbly blonde.

"You're going over the top now just to piss off Stefan." Anna pointed out and Damon chuckled.

"Am not." He smirked and Ric rolled his eyes.

"You so are." Anna smiled. "But Stefan needs to get the stick out of his ass so I don't blame you." She giggled. "What's the plan for Australia then?" She asked curiously.

"Well, we're flying into Perth and flying out of Sydney." Damon shrugged. "We were going to drive around, maybe head over to New Zealand or Tasmania. Whatever we feel like." Damon replied.

"We have five weeks there so there's nothing concrete yet." Ric replied.

"Has Barbie really been helping you with the decorating?" Damon asked curiously and Anna smiled.

"It might surprise you but she's been really great. She has so many ideas for everything, not just the decorating." Anna nodded.

"You still want to be the main grease monkey, right?" Damon asked with a smirk and Anna nodded with a laugh.

"Grease monkey?" Ric asked confused and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Could you be more of a chick?" Damon asked amused and Anna smacked his arm.

"Mechanic." Anna explained to Ric who nodded in understanding.

"Think we should ask Barbie to help us run the place?" Damon asked Anna.

"I was going to suggest that to you. She could be our manager and receptionist. She's great with people – you, not so much." Anna smirked and Ric laughed.

"So very true." Damon smirked. "I'd rather be fixing up the cars with you anyway." He shrugged. "So you can be full time mechanic, I'll do the finances and books as well as sometimes fiddling with the cars and Barbie can deal with customers." He nodded. "Sounds good." He smiled.

"If she wants to." Anna replied. "She might want to go to college or something."

"Not with the salary and shopping allowance I'll give her." Damon winked and Ric laughed.

"What are we going to call the place?" Anna asked. "And not Damon's Dungeon or something ridiculous like that." She warned and both Ric and Damon laughed.

"What about Golden Oldies?" Ric asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You're a golden oldie." Damon snorted and Ric laughed.

"Like you can talk." Ric replied and Anna laughed.

"I'm older than both of you so shut up." She smirked and Damon kissed her cheek.

"You look good for an old broad." He pointed out and she rolled her eyes.

"Name, Damon." She said as they were getting off topic.

"You can choose the name as long as we do the commercial my way." He winked and she looked at him sceptically.

"You thought of one?" She cocked an eyebrow and he grinned.

"Picture this." Damon said dramatically and put his hands out. "The sun's setting overlooking the Grand Canyon. It's shot on an old style camera to give it the authentic feel." He said and both Anna and Ric were trying not to laugh. "Then the camera moves to the dirt road and you see my baby sitting beautifully with me behind the wheel in my Ray Bans. The door opens and you and Barbie get in the front with me wearing something super sexy and I wink at the camera just before I drive away. Then the slogan comes up." Damon nodded. He loved his idea but Ric and Anna burst into hysterical laughter and he scowled at them.

"You're kidding, right?" Anna laughed.

"And what is wrong with my idea?" Damon asked annoyed.

"You were serious?" Ric asked and Damon narrowed his eyes at him.

"Sex sells, Alaric. Guys will see it and think 'If I get a hot car, I'll get hot women like them'." Damon replied and Ric knew he was serious since he called him 'Alaric'.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to have you in a commercial that can be seen all over the world?" Ric asked sceptically.

"Is this about Klaus?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. "Let him come." He shrugged. "I'll sell him a car." Damon smirked and Ric laughed. "It's not like he couldn't find me if he really wanted to." He added and Ric nodded in agreement. He had a point. Then there was a knock at the door and Damon grinned and got up to open it. He opened the door and there stood his favourite Barbie.

"Come in." Ric said as she hadn't been invited yet. She smiled and walked in and Damon draped an arm over her shoulder.

"They don't like my commercial idea." Damon pouted at her and she giggled.

"Why don't you tell me?" She asked and he repeated his idea to her while Anna and Ric chuckled.

"I love it!" She grinned at him and he kissed her cheek.

"Barbie, I think I just fell in love with you." He said and she laughed. "Let's ditch the dodos and run away together." He smirked and Ric rolled his eyes. "Speaking of that." Damon grinned then stood in front of her. He smirked then got down on one knee in front of her and she looked at him in confusion and he took her hand. "Caroline Heather Forbes... Will you go with me to Australia?" He asked her and her eyes widened.

"Yes!" She exclaimed and he stood up so she could hug him.

"Think Stefan will be pissed that I proposed to his girlfriend and she said yes?" Damon cocked an eyebrow at Ric and both he and Anna laughed. Caroline was too excited to chastise him.

"You're such a dumbass." Anna replied between giggles.

"You really don't mind me coming?" Caroline asked excitedly to anyone who was listening.

"Of course not." Alaric smiled at her. He'd become really fond of both Caroline and Anna as he spent so much time with them.

"Stefan's going to be pissed." Caroline laughed and Damon smirked at her.

"Just don't tell him. Then you won't see the forehead popping out." Damon replied and Caroline giggled.

"You're terrible." She said and he nodded as he thought that was obvious.

"Five wonderful weeks in Oz." Damon grinned. He was so excited.

"Are you coming too, Anna?" Caroline smiled at her.

"Yeah." She grinned.

"Oh, and I wanted to speak to you about something else, care to take a walk with me?" Damon asked her and she raised an eyebrow but followed him out of the apartment. Damon wasn't one to talk money in front of everyone. He thought those things were private. They walked out to the street and round the corner so Anna wouldn't hear.

"What's up?" She asked him curiously.

"Well, I wasn't sure what your plans for the future are but Anna says you've been really helpful with the business and I wanted to know if you would be our manager and receptionist. Before you say no, the reason I'm asking you specifically is because you're really good with people and I'm not. Anna wants to be the mechanic and I'll do the money side of things but I'm hoping this business will grow and eventually I'll have to hire staff and I'd end up killing them all if I had to manage them." He admitted. "Your starting salary would be $100000 a year with a $5000 a month shopping allowance on the company credit card but that would go up once your work load increases. You can have some time to think about it." Damon nodded as she stared at him in disbelief.

"I would love to, Damon." She smiled at him and he grinned back at her.

"Excellent." He smirked.

"But you don't have to pay me that much." She pointed out and he shrugged.

"It's only a little more than the going rate for a manager." He replied. "The shopping allowance was just because I kind of adore you." He smirked and she blinked in surprise and felt a little gooey inside. "And I bought a house in Charlottesville if you want to live with Anna and I. St Stefan can live there too if he must." Damon smirked and she laughed. "Though, he isn't working with us because I'd kill him." He replied and Caroline nodded. She knew Damon loved Stefan but too much time around each other made them both a little crazy.

"It sounds perfect, Damon." She smiled. "How much are the flights to Australia?" She asked and he smiled.

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "I've taken care of it already." He said and she looked stunned.

"How?" She asked.

"We're going on a jet." He smirked and she gasped.

"Oh my god! Really?" She exclaimed and he chuckled. He loved that everything was so exciting for her.

"You don't have to worry about anything for the trip. Just pack your suitcases and we'll go." He replied.

"Thank you." She said to him.

"Don't thank me yet, Blondie-bear." He put his arm over her as they walked back to the apartment. "It's going to be wild." He winked and she laughed. They made their way back to the apartment and Damon let them in with his key and Ric and Anna eyed them curiously. Ric knew Damon was kind of handsy in general so it didn't bother him how he always had an arm over the girls.

"Damon asked me to work with you guys." Caroline grinned at Anna and she smiled back.

"Are you going to?" Anna asked and Caroline nodded. "That's great!" Anna exclaimed and hugged her friend.

"Group hug." Damon said seductively then put his arms around the girls and wiggled his eyebrows at Ric who laughed at him and the girls giggled. "You feeling left out?" He asked Ric then sped over to him and pinned him to the wall.

"I didn't get a chance to answer." Ric chuckled and Damon smirked then kissed him. Anna and Caroline were used to Damon jumping Ric constantly so they ignored him and talked about the business while the boys made out.

"This is so exciting." Caroline said to her.

"I know it's really coming together." She grinned. "It'll be nice to go on vacation before we start everything up though." She said.

"I'm just going to leave Stefan a note." Caroline replied and Anna giggled. Damon pulled away from Ric and burst into laughter too.

"He's going to be so pissed at me." Damon smirked. "Can't wait." He grinned and Alaric rolled his eyes.

"You're like a child when it comes to Stefan." Ric pointed out amused and Damon narrowed his eyes at him. Ric knew that look and it excited him. "So, girls... uh... we'll see you at the party." Alaric said and they both laughed knowing what was going on.

"Have fun." Anna smirked and Caroline giggled then the two of them left.

"Child, eh?" Damon cocked his head to the side. "I think I'm ready for my turn now." He smirked and Ric hardened at the thought.

"You sure you don't just want a repeat of the shower?" Ric cocked an eyebrow and Damon visibly shuddered at the memory of it.

"I want that every day." Damon smirked. "But this time, I want my way with you." Damon cocked his eyebrow.

"Go for it." Ric said and Damon was on him less than a second later and they kissed. Damon sped them into the bedroom and Ric was on his back before he had time to register the movement. "Show off." He mocked and Damon laughed.

"I love you, geek." Damon smiled and Ric felt himself melt a little. Damon got Ric's shirt off and scowled when he saw the bite mark he'd left. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten about that. But he figured if the blood he'd given Ric earlier hadn't healed him, it meant the blood had been busy getting rid of the vervain. He leaned down to the little wound and licked it. He tasted no vervain and grinned.

"Biteable?" Ric asked amused and Damon smirked.

"Finally." Damon said and Ric chuckled. "Sorry I forgot about that." Damon pointed to the mark and Ric shrugged. He didn't really care.

"So, I believe you said something about having your way with me?" Ric asked and Damon laughed.

"Aren't we eager today?" Damon asked amused and Ric rolled his eyes.

"Does your way with me involve torturing me to death or something?" He asked and Damon leaned down and started to kiss him.

"No."Damon said then kept kissing him. Damon got rid of his own clothes until he was completely naked then worked on getting Ric to match. Damon reached into Ric's bedside cabinet and pulled out a little bottle of lubricant that he kept there as they kept kissing. He set it down on the bed then reached underneath him to softly stroke Ric.

"Are you going to..." Ric trailed off as Damon kept kissing him.

"Mmhmm." Damon replied. "If you're ready." He said as he kept rubbing him and Ric nodded. "Are you nervous?" Damon asked softly.

"No." Ric replied.

"Take some blood first." Damon said then bit into his wrist allowing Ric to drink while he lubricated himself. He then lubricated Ric in the hope it would be less painful that way then pulled his wrist away. "Do you remember what you promised me?" Damon asked him and Ric nodded.

"I'll tell you if it's too much." He replied.

"Relax." Damon said to him softly then kissed him again. He slowly lifted Ric's legs so he was straddling him from underneath and lined himself up. His cock ached as he thought about finally being able to do this as he hadn't actually fucked anyone since Andie. Ric wrapped his arms around Damon's neck and pulled him close, wanting to feel his body against his. Ric took a deep breath and nodded. Damon pushed his way in as slowly as he could and he groaned at the unbelievable tightness there was around him. Ric bit his lip because the searing pain but didn't say anything as he'd done this to Damon several times and wanted to do this for him. Damon kept inching forward slowly, bit by bit until he was fully inside and he had to focus on not blowing his load as he knew he couldn't do this more than once that day. He waited for a minute and kept softly stoking Ric's cock, hoping the pleasure would distract him from the pain. "You okay?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. Damon pulled out half way then thrust back in slowly and groaned. He kept his thrusts nice and slow for Ric but also so he wouldn't cum himself. He changed his position slightly and thrust in again.

"Fuck." Ric cursed and Damon smirked. So he'd found it.

"Good?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. Damon kept thrusting against it while he rubbed Ric. "Can I go faster?" He asked softly.

"Yeah." Ric nodded. Damon increased his speed and kept slamming in the way he had before and Ric started to shake.

"Fucking hell." Ric gasped and Damon smirked then had an idea. He pulled out completely and put more lubricant on himself then went back in. He went back to his previous slant so he would hit Ric's prostate.

"Are you in any pain?" Damon asked as he thrust back and forth while rubbing Ric's cock.

"None." Ric replied as the explosions he kept feeling every time Damon hit his prostate was blinding him to anything else.

"Excellent." Damon grinned then to Ric's surprise Damon started to increase his speed until he was going at vampire speed against his prostate. Ric thought he was either going to scream his lungs out or die from the pleasure as Damon was also stroking him at vampire speed. Soon it was too much for him and he screamed his release as did Damon. Ric had never felt anything like it and he couldn't help it... He passed out. Damon pulled out of Ric and cocked his head to the side. "Ric?" Damon said but he didn't reply. Damon shook him a little wide eyed as he had no idea what happened. He listened and Ric's heart beat was slow but not too slow, it was like he was asleep. Damon panicked and didn't know what to do. He had given Ric blood so if he'd hurt him in some way, he'd heal. He jumped off the bed and pulled his boxers on after covering Ric then sped into the living room. He got his phone and dialled Anna's number.

"_Hey sweetie._" She answered.

"Anna? I need your help with something." Damon said a little panicked.

"_What's wrong?_" Anna asked alarmed as he never called her anything but AB anymore.

"Are you around any vampires right now?" He asked.

"_I'll leave just give me a sec._" She said and Damon heard a rustling sound. "_Okay, what's up?_" She asked.

"Uh... Hypothetically... Can humans ever pass out from an orgasm?" Damon asked and he heard her giggle. "It's not funny."

"_Hypothetically, were you going at vampire speed with whatever you were doing to him?_" She asked.

"Yeah, why?" He asked curiously.

"_Humans can't take as much pleasure as we can... sometimes they pass out after a really intense orgasm. Don't worry, he'll wake up soon._" She said.

"Oh, thank god." Damon sighed in relief. "I swear if I could have a heart attack I probably would have." Damon said and she laughed.

"_The first time it happened to me I thought I'd killed the guy._" She replied and Damon chuckled.

"Uh... can you not tell anyone about this? Or Ric?" Damon asked.

"_I won't. You know that._" She replied and he nodded though she couldn't see.

"Thanks, AB." He said.

"_Anytime, Salvatore._" She said and he hung up. He went back into the bedroom and Ric was still out. He got under the covers and hugged into his side. Minutes later he heard Ric's heart beat speed up so he leaned on his elbow and watched his eyes flutter open.

"What happened?" Ric asked confused as he looked up at Damon.

"You passed out." Damon said with a smirk and Ric's eyes widened and Damon watched his cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"That's humiliating." Ric said as he covered his face with his hands and Damon chuckled. He pried Ric's hands away from his face. "Not fair." Ric huffed and Damon smiled kindly at him.

"You don't have to be embarrassed in front of me. Remember that I love you, Ric. I'm sure if I wasn't a vampire, earlier in the shower would have done the same thing." He pointed out. "I couldn't stand." He smirked and Ric nodded. That did make him feel a tiny bit better.

"Fuck that was amazing, though." Ric replied and Damon grinned. "I was convinced I was going to die from orgasm overload." He said earning a chuckle.

"I'm glad you liked it." He smiled. "Do you want more blood?" Damon asked.

"Yeah." Ric nodded. Damon lay down on his back and pulled Ric on top of him. Ric stared down at Damon and it took his breath away just how much he loved the vampire. He never knew he was capable of feeling this way about someone. He reached his fingers up and lightly touched Damon's face. "Let me see your real face." Ric said in nothing more than a whisper and Damon smiled softly. The dark veins appeared under his eyes, his blue eyes were surrounded by red and Ric saw his fangs lightly peeking out. "I love you." Ric said and Damon grinned at him then tilted his head to the side. He found it ridiculously hot when Ric bit him. Ric bit into his neck and started drinking and Damon groaned then bit him back. He'd missed feeding together. He missed being able to feel him. He loved Ric so much and was glad they were back on track...


	16. Charlie

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

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><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 16

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><p>It was the day of Elena's party and Damon, Ric and Anna were having lunch in the Grill together. Ric was across from Damon as always and Anna was beside him. Damon had his back to the door. They were talking about Australia.<p>

"No friggin way! Damon! Damon Salvatore?" Came a high pitched voice and Damon froze. Ric saw Damon's eyes widen to saucers as he stared at Ric in mixed disbelief and fear. Then Damon surprised Ric by grabbing Anna's hand and mouthing 'I'm sorry' to Ric. Damon turned his head to the left at the approaching footsteps and there he was in all his glory. He was wearing bright blue cowboy boots, lime green skinny jeans, a white vest top and bright pink neon eye shadow. His head was shaved to a buzz cut but he still looked the same.

"Charlie." Damon said with a forced smile through gritted teeth.

"Oh, my god! I can't believe it's really you! I was walking by and saw that beautiful face and just had to come say hi!" Charlie exclaimed and Ric and Anna were trying not to laugh.

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Just passing through, gorgeous!" He grinned. "Don't be rude sweetie, introduce me." He said and Damon sighed. He really didn't want to do this but he had to.

"This is my girlfriend Anna and my best friend Ric." Damon said and both Anna and Ric stared at him in disbelief.

"Hey, guys!" Charlie exclaimed. "It's so nice to meet you both. I'm Charlie and Damon's the great love of my life but he doesn't swing that way so I'll just have to wait until he does." Charlie winked at Damon and Damon rolled his eyes.

"You can't seriously hold me to that, Charlie. I was out of my mind." Damon replied cautiously.

"You made me a promise that if you were ever going to go that way, it would be me." Charlie countered and Damon sighed in annoyance.

"I was clearly high on acid!" Damon snapped.

"Tut, tut, baby. No need to snap that pretty mouth at me." Charlie chastised and Damon groaned.

"Charlie, why are you still here?" Damon complained.

"You're just so mean." Charlie stomped his foot. "That's okay, angel. I forgive you." He grinned and Damon shook his head in disbelief. "What about you handsome?" Charlie looked at Ric. "You seeing anyone?" He asked and Ric chuckled.

"I guess not." Ric replied and Damon glared at him. Charlie sat down next to Ric which infuriated Damon. Ric was hurt by Damon's actions and figured a little payback was in order.

"Do you two have a bond?" Charlie asked curiously and Damon laughed nervously.

"Well, you know... best friend and all... Don't want him dying on me." Damon said and Charlie laughed.

"I get it, honey. Plus, he's too pretty to lose." Charlie smiled at Ric. Anna was dumfounded by the whole thing. Damon frantically waved for the waitress and demanded the bill. "So what is there to do in this town?" Charlie asked and Ric smirked evilly at Damon.

"There's a party tonight." Ric said and Damon's jaw dropped. "You should come since you and Damon are such good friends." Ric suggested and Anna laughed at Ric's payback.

"No, no. It's a private party. A friend's birthday." Damon said quickly.

"I'm sure Elena would love to meet Charlie." Ric countered and Damon's eyes widened.

"Ric you are just so sweet." Charlie smiled at him. "I'd love to meet Damon's friends. We go way back."

"Have you met Stefan?" Ric asked and Charlie grinned.

"Steffi! He's here? Oh my god! I haven't seen him in years. We made out once." Charlie said and Ric and Anna laughed at the thought.

"Charlie, you can't come... Uh... Why don't you and I just hit a bar and catch up?" Damon urged him. He couldn't have Charlie around _everyone_.

"Are you asking me out?" Charlie grinned and Damon sighed. "Kidding, sweet cheeks." Charlie winked. "I'm so going to the party!" Charlie exclaimed.

"But..." Damon said in disbelief.

"It'll be fun, Damon." Ric smirked. "Don't be such a spoil sport." He said.

"Yeah, sexy. When did you get to be so vanilla?" Charlie asked and Damon clunked his head down on the table.

"This is not happening. I'm going to wake up." Damon said out loud and they all laughed.

"It was really nice meeting you, Charlie. But we need to go set up for the party." Anna smiled at him in the hope he would leave as she needed Damon to explain.

"You are just too beautiful, even though I totally hate you for nabbing my guy." Charlie winked at her and she laughed. Damon had some serious explaining to do. "Is it at the boarding house?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah, at 8pm." Ric nodded.

"Okay, see you guys later! I can't wait, it'll be so fun!" Charlie exclaimed then ran out the door of the Grill. Damon still had his head on the table. Where was a stake when you needed one?

"Why did you tell him that I'm your girlfriend?" Anna asked as she took her hand back from his and Damon lifted his head and looked around to make sure Charlie wasn't in sight.

"Please, AB!" Damon whispered. "Please, be my girlfriend just for tonight!" He pleaded with her. "He'll _never_ go away if he finds out the truth." Damon said. He wasn't ready to look at Ric's disappointed face yet but Anna turned to look at Ric so Damon had to.

"What the fuck, Damon?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"I love you, Ric but I have to have a girlfriend around Charlie." Damon said. "Please understand." Damon said.

"Do whatever you need to do." Ric nodded then got up and left the Grill and Damon rolled his eyes.

"This is going to be another issue isn't it?" Damon sighed.

"So what does this girlfriend thing entail?" Anna asked sceptically.

"I'll kiss you a couple of times in front of Charlie and hold your hand a little bit but I won't be overly affectionate." Damon replied.

"You owe me majorly, Salvatore." Anna said and he hugged her.

* * *

><p>Damon called everyone that was coming to the small party. It was all the usual contenders, Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy and Stefan. He told them there was an urgent meeting at the boarding house as soon as possible and he waited nervously for them to get there. Stefan had no idea what was going on with Damon as he hadn't stopped pacing the living room for almost an hour. Shortly, everyone was in attendance except Ric.<p>

"I have a huge problem. Monstrously large problem. So big, I'm considering staking myself to get out of it." Damon said after they'd all sat down. He was still pacing like a madman.

"What's going on?" Caroline asked worriedly. Anna just looked amused. She thought Charlie was kind of funny.

"My stalker has shown up in Mystic Falls." Damon said and Stefan burst into hysterics.

"Charlie?" Stefan exclaimed and Damon glared at him.

"THERE IS NOTHING REMOTELY FUNNY ABOUT THIS!" Damon yelled at the top of his lungs and all of them were suddenly frightened, aside from Anna.

"Why did you call us?" Caroline asked in a small voice.

"Because he cannot under any circumstances whatsoever find out that I'm with Ric." Damon replied after he'd calmed himself down. He walked over to his liquor cabinet and started chugging straight from a bottle until it was empty and they all thought he was acting much more strangely than usual.

"Why?" Elena asked and Damon snapped his head towards her.

"Charlie is obsessed with Damon." Stefan replied to her and they all laughed.

"Didn't I just say this wasn't funny?" Damon glared at them all.

"Ric invited him to the party." Anna told them and Stefan laughed.

"This is going to be so ridiculous." Stefan shook his head. "Why would he do that?"

"Damon told Charlie that I'm his girlfriend." Anna replied and they all gasped. They had all wondered why Ric wasn't there and now figured he was furious at Damon.

"Hey." Tyler said annoyed.

"You really want to go there with me today of all days, wolf?" Damon snapped at him and Tyler shrunk back in his seat.

"What do you mean 'hey'?" Jeremy turned to Tyler.

"We're dating." Tyler shrugged.

"Since when?" Jeremy asked annoyed.

"Since when do you care?" Bonnie asked Jeremy.

"SHUT UP." Damon snapped. "Have your teen drama elsewhere." He said. "This is what's going to happen. Charlie is older than Katherine so there's nothing I can actually do to get rid of him but I swear to god if anyone of you breathes a word of my relationship with Ric, I will kill you. I don't care who it is. I don't care what it takes. I will kill you." Damon warned them all. "He does not find out and for tonight, AB is my girlfriend. Got it?" Damon asked and they all nodded. "Oh, god." Damon clutched his head. "This is going to be a disaster." He said then pulled out another bottle and downed it in one big gulp.

"Damon, calm down." Stefan said to him in the hopes he would listen for once.

"I can't. I can't calm down." Damon replied hysterically. "This is a fucking nightmare! Why couldn't he have come next week when I'm gone?" He said and started to pace again. None of them had ever seen Damon so erratic and crazy before and frankly they were terrified.

"Maybe we should have the party another night?" Elena suggested.

"No, today is your birthday." Caroline said with a note of finality. "We're not letting one of Damon's admirers ruin it." She said and they chuckled.

"Admirer?" Damon asked in disbelief. "I need to get out of here. I need to leave the state. The country would be better." Damon said as he started to panic. Anna walked over to him and hugged him.

"Damon, calm down. It'll be fine. Nobody is going to say anything, okay?" She asked.

"But what about Ric? He might say something." Damon replied.

"He won't." Anna shook her head. "If you don't relax, I'll vervain your ass and lock you in the cell." She smirked.

"That might be a good idea." Damon nodded and she laughed. "Yes, do that. Keep vervaining me until he's gone. Please." Damon pleaded with her and they all watched in disbelief. Who the hell was this Charlie guy?

"Yeah, because then you won't be able to stop him from feeling you up." Caroline smirked and Damon's eyes widened and he covered his face with his hands. They had no idea how close to the truth that was.

"Oh, god! I didn't think of that!" Damon exclaimed and Stefan shot Caroline a look.

"Stop putting ideas in his head." Stefan said to her and she rolled her eyes. He stood up and walked over to Damon and stood in front of him.

"You need to stop getting like this every time you see Charlie." Stefan said to him.

"Stefan! You don't know what he's like!" Damon exclaimed and looked like he was about to hyperventilate so Stefan slapped him hard across the face and everyone held their breath as they waited for Damon's reaction. Damon took a deep breath. "Thanks. I needed that." Damon nodded and they stared at him in disbelief while Stefan just looked amused.

"Is this guy dangerous?" Bonnie asked worriedly and Stefan smirked at her.

"Only to Damon." Stefan replied and Damon glared at him.

"I think you need to slap me again or I'm going to lose it." Damon said.

"Why don't we fight instead?" Stefan suggested.

"Good idea." Damon nodded then Stefan punched him in the jaw and they started beating each other at vampire speed and all the others could see was specks of blood flying everywhere as the furniture broke and they crashed against the walls then Anna got fed up and sped in the middle and held them apart by the throats.

"This is the room the party's in!" She exclaimed. "You're making a mess! Take it outside!" She yelled. The others stared in disbelief as both Stefan and Damon's bodies were covered in blood, cuts and bruises and their clothes were ripped apart.

"I'm good." Damon nodded then exhaled loudly. "I don't need anymore." He nodded.

"Good." Anna said. "Well, you two dumbasses go get showered and changed then clean up this mess." She chastised and let them go.

"Fine." Damon muttered.

"Sorry, mom." Stefan added and Damon chuckled as the two of them went up the stairs together.

"Boys." Anna rolled her eyes.

"That was hot." Tyler smirked at her and she giggled while Jeremy glared at him and Bonnie glared at Jeremy.

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><p>Stefan and Damon came back down after they showered and cleaned up the mess. The others left before they came back down and only Anna and Caroline were left as they started decorating the room. The caterers were bringing round the food in the afternoon and they were getting a delivery of alcohol that they'd compelled.<p>

"AB? Can I talk to you for a minute?" Damon asked her and she nodded and followed him out to the driveway so Stefan and Caroline wouldn't hear.

"What's up?" She asked curiously.

"I'm nervous about tonight and this is going to sound ridiculous but I think we should practice kissing." Damon said to her and she laughed.

"Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief.

"It has to look comfortable." Damon said urgently.

"Fine." She sighed.

"So... now?" Damon asked and she laughed.

"Hurry up, I have stuff to do." She said and he nodded. He hadn't kissed anyone but Ric in a while and it felt weird to be about to kiss someone else. "I haven't got all day." She said when he just stood there. He leaned down and pecked her on the mouth. "Yes, because that wasn't awkward." She giggled and he smirked. He might as well do what he does best then... He rushed her and pinned her against the wall of the house and kissed her. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and she held onto his back then they deepened the kiss. He allowed his tongue to massage lightly against hers and he had to admit she was an excellent kisser... She had to admit that she felt something she hadn't felt before.

"Damon?" Damon pulled away quickly and snapped his head to see Ric looking a mixture between confused and hurt. Damon stepped away from her. How had Damon not heard Ric's car pull up? Had he been that caught up?

"I'll go inside." Anna said then darted inside as she had a lot to think about.

"It's not what you think." Damon said cautiously and Ric crossed his arms over his chest.

"And what do I think?" Ric asked seriously and Damon sighed.

"Can we go talk somewhere?" Damon asked him and Ric sighed.

"I don't see how you can explain this." Ric replied annoyed.

"Please?" Damon asked softly.

"Fine." Ric said then got back in his car and Damon got in the passenger seat. Ric drove them back to his apartment and they were both silent the whole way there. They got out and went in the door and sat down on the couch. "What's your big explanation then?" Ric asked.

"We were practicing for tonight." Damon said honestly and Ric laughed.

"Are you actually joking with me right now?" Ric asked in disbelief.

"No, that is the honest truth. I thought it should look authentic so Charlie doesn't suspect anything." Damon replied.

"Why do you care what Charlie thinks?" Ric asked.

"Because, he's 600 years old!" Damon exclaimed. "He has literally kidnapped me and kept me in a dungeon before to try to change my mind!" Damon said. "If he thinks for even a second that I would ever consider being with a guy, he would kidnap me again and never let me go and unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it!" Damon said and Ric sighed. Ric didn't like it one bit but he could kind of see why Damon was freaking out over this guy.

"How long were you kidnapped for?" Ric asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Which time?" Damon asked and Ric stared in disbelief. "The first time it was a month, the second time was ten weeks and the third time was seven months." Damon replied and Ric's jaw dropped.

"Why didn't you tell me about this guy before?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"A lot of fucked up shit has happened to me. It would take too long to get into it. Yet, you're the one that invited him to the party." Damon pointed out.

"I'm sorry." Ric replied. He felt terrible about it and he could fully understand why Damon was so hell bent on being straight in front of this guy. "What did he do in the dungeon?" Ric asked cautiously and Damon deadpanned.

"I don't want to talk about it." Damon replied and that worried Ric. Damon usually never minded sharing things with him. "But, I love you and I felt nothing when I kissed AB. I just need this to look real." Damon said urging him to understand. He had felt nothing when he kissed Anna, besides the fact she was a good kisser, it was still her, his best bud and nothing more. "Also... Stefan doesn't know about the kidnapping thing..." Damon replied awkwardly.

"I love you too." Ric replied. "I'll play along." He nodded. "But you have to get rid of this guy." Ric said.

"How?" Damon asked nervously. He was so traumatised by his experiences with Charlie that he couldn't really think properly about things that would normally be second nature to him.

"I have an idea." Ric smirked.

* * *

><p>Damon returned to the boarding house shortly after and he walked in to find the room completely decorated.<p>

"Looks good." Damon nodded to Anna and Caroline.

"How did it go?" Anna asked sceptically and Damon smiled at her.

"We're good." Damon grinned then sped over to her and kissed her again. He wanted to get used to it so it wouldn't be a big deal. Anna reluctantly kissed him back as she'd agreed to this debacle even though it worried her that Damon's kiss was giving her butterflies.

"What are you doing?" Caroline exclaimed and Damon pulled away.

"Practice." He smirked. "I got the okay from the better half." He winked at her and she rolled her eyes.

"What about Tyler?" Caroline asked Anna.

"I'll deal with wolf boy if he has a problem." Damon replied for her.

"We aren't together anyway." Anna shrugged and Caroline was surprised at her answer.

"Let's go upstairs." Damon winked at her and she giggled involuntarily.

"You want to practice more?" Anna asked him confused.

"Well, yeah." Damon said like it was obvious. "You're still all awkward with me about it so we need to iron that out." Damon smirked and Anna nodded nervously.

"Uh... yeah. Okay, if we have to." She shrugged and Caroline's eyes widened but she didn't say anything. Anna couldn't have feelings for Damon, right?

"Come on, girlfriend." Damon took her hand and dragged her upstairs to his bedroom and went over to the bed and lay down then patted the spot next to him.

"Why do we need to lie down?" She asked confused and he smirked.

"Because we're going to have a heated make-out session so you're completely used to me." Damon replied and her body took her over to the bed before her mind made the decision for her. She didn't see how this would made things less awkward for her, considering she knew that Damon would never ever leave Ric... yet, here she was. "Is it so bad to pretend to like me?" Damon asked amused and she laughed. If only he knew.

"Like that would ever happen." She replied and he dramatically covered his heart with his hands.

"You wound me, AB." He grinned at her and she laughed and sat down next to where he was lying. Before she knew it she was on her back and he was on top of her smirking at her. She stared up at him for a moment until he leaned down to kiss her. She kissed back automatically this time as she was already used to it. His tongue entered her mouth and she had to focus so she wouldn't moan in pleasure. He was easily the best kisser she'd ever kissed and it seemed that she indeed had feelings for Damon Salvatore... As stupid as that was. He was her best friend and he opened up to her in ways that he didn't to anyone else and it seemed that the kissing was forcing her to face the fact that she probably had feelings for him for some time now. Damon rolled them over so she was on top of him and she pulled away. "Is this really too weird for you?" Damon asked her quietly and the softness of his features made her unable to deny him.

"It's a little weird because it's you." She replied honestly knowing he would think it was because they were just friends not because she wanted him.

"Can't you just imagine someone you find attractive then?" Damon asked her and she felt her stomach clench.

"You want me to kiss you like I find you attractive?" She asked surprised.

"Well, yeah." He chuckled.

"I can try." She said.

"Go for it." He smirked and she leaned down and kissed him. She allowed herself to feel it for a moment when she kissed him and he flipped her over again and pulled away. "Now that was a kiss." He smirked. "Though, I have to stop before I get carried away." Damon winked at her then got off her. "I think it'll be believable." He grinned at her and she nodded, unable to say anything. "You alright?" Damon asked her and she laughed.

"Fine. This is just surreal." She said and he chuckled.

"We're best buds." He said to her with a shrug. "Thanks for doing this for me. If you ever need or want anything in return, let me know." He smiled at her and she nodded. He could never give her what she wanted. Not really.

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><p>Soon it was time for the party and they dipped the lights and put music on. The alcohol was out on the table as was the food. There was even a little cooler with blood for the vampires since more than half the guests were vampires. Damon had gone over the plan quietly with the other vampires and they'd agreed to help him get rid of Charlie once and for all. Damon was looking forward to finally being free of him. Damon was sitting on the couch with a drink when everyone showed up at once. Charlie hadn't arrived yet thankfully. Anna and Caroline had already been there, starting on the alcohol since they would need much more than the humans to feel it. Ric came in shortly after the teenagers and Damon smiled widely at the sight of him and winked at him and Ric smiled back and nodded.<p>

Damon was so thankful that he'd been so understanding about it all and would make sure to make it up to him big time after Charlie was gone. The girls were up dancing to some poppy song when Anna went over and sat next to Damon. He put his arm around her like he always did and kissed her cheek like he always did but now it meant more to her than he knew. Then Charlie showed up and everyone stared at him as he came in the house wearing silver hot pants, pink tights, silver go-go boots and a bright orange off the shoulder top. He had neon pink lipstick on and silver eye shadow. Damon stiffened in his seat next to Anna at the sight of him and Anna took his hand. He'd explained to her what he'd told Ric and Anna finally understood Damon's reaction. Damon even revealed to her what Charlie had done to him and she hated the man with a vengeance and was even more eager to help Damon with their fake relationship – not that she minded the attention.

"Damon honey bunny!" Charlie exclaimed and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Charlie." Damon said unenthusiastically.

"Do you like my party shorts?" Charlie asked and he twirled.

"No." Damon said bluntly and Charlie made a face at him and stomped his foot.

"You're so mean to me." Charlie said. "I made myself extra pretty just for you." He smiled. "Oh... I forgive you." He grinned and everyone in the room watched Charlie in disbelief until Charlie noticed Stefan. He ran over and hugged Stefan and Stefan awkwardly patted his back. "Steffi!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Charlie." Stefan nodded.

"You're looking hot with the short hair." Charlie grinned.

"Uh... thanks?" Stefan asked.

"Don't be rude, Steffi. Introduce me." He said as he pointed to everyone in the room. "Where's the birthday girl?" Charlie asked.

"That's Elena." Stefan pointed and Charlie ran over and hugged her.

"Happy birthday, sweetie pie!" He exclaimed. "It's so nice to meet you! I'm Charlie." He grinned.

"Thanks, nice to meet you too." Elena smiled at him.

"I got you a birthday tiara! Us girls need to be princesses on our birthdays." He winked then handed over a little box to her. She smiled politely to him and opened the box. "Put it on, precious!" He clapped and she did. There was something overly disturbing about Charlie and she just figured it would be better to play along.

"Thank you." Elena said politely.

"You are so welcome, sweetie." He grinned. "You could teach that sexy beast over there some manners." Charlie said and Tyler laughed. Damon glared at Tyler and Tyler stopped. Just to piss him off, Damon kissed Anna. "Oh my god! I'm so jealous of that gorgeous woman!" Charlie exclaimed causing everyone to look over at Damon and Anna making out. None of them now doubted that Damon would kill them if they mentioned anything about Ric, considering Ric was in the room and was purposely not looking at the couch. They could see why Damon would be so disturbed at this man being obsessed with him.

"They are cute." Elena said nervously.

"He'd be cuter with me." Charlie laughed.

"Hi, I'm Caroline, Stefan's girlfriend." Caroline held out her hand and he shook it.

"You are just fabulous, honey! Steffi, you done good!" Charlie said and she giggled.

"Well, I like your shorts." She smirked and he clapped.

"Yay!" He grinned at her.

"That's Bonnie, Tyler, Jeremy and I heard you met Ric already." Stefan pointed.

"Hey, everyone! Ric, you're looking gorgeous." He waved dramatically at everyone and winked at Ric. "Let's dance!" He exclaimed and pulled Caroline and Elena into the little dance floor they'd set up. Damon rolled his eyes at Charlie as he was dancing like a loon.

"You okay?" Anna whispered so quietly nobody else could hear and Damon nodded.

"Hey, beautiful! Get your sexy little ass up here." Charlie beckoned Damon.

"I'd rather stake myself." Damon replied sarcastically and they all laughed causing Charlie to stomp his foot.

"You're so mean to me!" Charlie said then smiled. "But I forgive you." He sing-songed then started dancing again. Damon closed his eyes and exhaled. From the other side of the room Jeremy was giving Damon a sympathetic look.

"I need more alcohol." Damon muttered then stood up and went over to the drinks cart. He poured himself a full glass of bourbon and drank it down in one gulp. He was about to pour himself another when he figured he might as well take the bottle so he took it then went back to sit next to Anna.

* * *

><p>Three hours later, Damon was nice and drunk. He needed to be drunk around Charlie. It had taken him a long time to get over everything Charlie did to him and having him around only brought it back. The fear, the degradation and the helplessness. He'd been not long turned when Charlie started his obsession. Charlie was busy talking to Caroline and Elena about something ridiculous so Damon got up from his spot on the couch to get himself another drink. He didn't hear Charlie come up behind him. Charlie grabbed Damon's ass and Damon spun round and pinned him to the wall by the throat.<p>

"Do not touch me." Damon warned and Charlie laughed. "I'm no baby vampire anymore and you'll do well to remember that." Damon said then Charlie used his strength to reverse their positions and Damon was pressed tightly against the wall.

"Is that a challenge, sweetie?" Charlie asked. "Because I could easily take you back to your dungeon. Maybe this time you'll be more agreeable to what I used to do to you. You are so pretty naked after all." Charlie smiled and Damon glared at him as everyone in the room's jaws dropped. They finally all understood why Damon hated him so much. Damon's crazy behaviour earlier made sense to them now and they all felt badly for laughing about it. That was the moment that Damon couldn't take it anymore. He was Damon fucking Salvatore and nobody gets to threaten him with anything and he smirked. He wasn't a young vampire anymore and he was vicious enough now that he didn't have to be a victim anymore to anyone – let alone Charlie.

"You know something, Charlie?" Damon cocked his head to the side.

"What's that, my love?" Charlie asked amused.

"I lied to you." Damon replied and Charlie looked confused.

"About what?" He asked.

"Anna's not my girlfriend." Damon replied and Charlie loosened his grip which was what Damon was going for.

"Then why did you say she was?" Charlie asked as he let go of Damon's throat altogether.

"You sicken me." Damon replied. "You're pathetic and you don't scare me. You really love me, Charlie?" Damon asked cocking his head to the side and Stefan knew Damon was going to do something stupid.

"I love you more than anything in the world." Charlie nodded and Damon smirked.

"What would hurt you the most?" Damon asked him curiously.

"You know what would hurt me the most." Charlie replied confused. "Why did you say she is your girlfriend if she isn't?" Damon grinned at him.

"Because I didn't want you to know that I'm head over heels in love with a guy. Ric to be exact." Damon smirked and Charlie gasped and covered his mouth.

"No! How... could you do that to me?" Charlie asked as he started to cry.

"Because you mean absolutely nothing to me. You never have and you never will." Damon replied and all of their eyes widened. They had no idea what the hell he was doing. Why he was provoking a 600 year old vampire.

"Take that back." Charlie gasped through his tears.

"Never." Damon hissed. "I'd rather die than have anything to do with you." Damon said.

"I don't believe you." Charlie sniffed. "Prove it." He said and Damon smirked evilly.

"Gladly." Damon nodded then he moved his hand faster than lightening and broke through the skin between Charlie's throat and jaw and held onto the top of his spine as Charlie screamed and choked. The others could see Damon's hand sticking out at the back of Charlie's head. "I told you, Charlie. I'm no baby vamp. And before you die..." Damon move to whisper in his ear. "You should know that the sex is unbelievable and I love it." Charlie's eyes widened and Damon smirked then pulled his blood covered arm back out holding the top of Charlie's spine in his hand as Charlie slumped on the floor and greyed. He looked up and saw that every single jaw in the room was practically touching the floor. "Happy birthday, Elena." He smirked. "You should ditch the tiara though, it's tacky." Damon pointed out. He leaned over and picked Charlie up by the arm. "I'll get rid of the disco diva." Damon said then walked out the front door.

"You all just saw that, right?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

"He really did just do that..." Jeremy added in shock.

"That's the creepiest thing I've ever seen." Bonnie said wide eyed.

"He killed him... Damon killed a 600 year old vampire with his bare hands." Anna said as she gaped.

"Did none of you hear anything?" Caroline asked them annoyed. "He kept Damon in a dungeon and did things to him. I would have killed him myself if I could have." She said sticking up for him though she was disturbed too.

"I can't believe he didn't tell me." Stefan said feeling guilty though he was surprised at the brutality of the moment as everyone else was. Though, considering what Damon had probably gone through, Charlie deserved it, in his mind.

"I think I'm going to throw up." Tyler said then ran to the bathroom.

"Light weight." Jeremy smirked.

"Well, I'll never forget my eighteenth birthday." Elena added with a nervous laugh. Ric slipped out the back door. He needed air. He loved Damon beyond words but it was all too much for him. He didn't care that Damon killed Charlie, he cared that he'd had to. Ric blamed himself for inviting Charlie over. He felt physically sick knowing Charlie had forced himself on Damon and then Ric had stupidly invited him to the party just to piss Damon off. He slumped down at the side of the house against the wall. He felt so much guilt in that moment he couldn't stop tears from falling.

* * *

><p>Damon took Charlie out into the woods and burned his body. He was humiliated how Charlie had revealed to everyone that he'd done things to him. That's what made him snap. He would have just stuck to the original plan if Charlie hadn't done that. They'd planned to vervain him and stake him together but killing him alone had been a type of closure for Damon. He knew that being the one to kill Charlie after revealing he was in love with a guy would have been the worst possible death for Charlie and that's what Damon had wanted at the time. He wanted to hurt Charlie worse than Charlie ever hurt him and he'd been successful. He thought about just ripping his heart out to be poetic but he wanted it to be painful. He knew it was beyond vicious and cruel but he couldn't bring himself to feel remorse over it. He'd never felt so helpless in his life as he had in his time in the dungeon and he never wanted to feel like that again. He figured that had also been another reason he'd been so afraid to be with Ric.<p>

After the body was burned to ash, Damon went back to the boarding house. He couldn't have been gone for more than an hour and it seemed the party was still going. His arm was still covered in Charlie's blood and he didn't say anything to anyone when he went into the house. He went straight up to his room and took a shower. When he came out to his room in a towel, Anna, Caroline and Stefan were waiting for him. Caroline and Anna rushed forward and hugged him tightly and he hugged them back though he was still wet. It meant a lot to him that they were still there after what they'd heard and seen.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked him softly and he pulled away and smiled at her.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I did what I did in front of you both." Damon replied quietly.

"He deserved it, D." Anna said soothingly.

"Yeah, I wanted to torture him when he said that to you." Caroline replied and Damon winced.

"I wish you all hadn't heard that." Damon mumbled.

"Well, we all love you and we're here for you." Caroline said sincerely and he smirked.

"Is that so? How about that threesome then?" Damon quipped and they laughed while Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Maybe in 100 years." Caroline winked and Damon laughed.

"I'll remember that." Damon pointed out.

"Will you come back down to the party?" Caroline asked and he shook his head.

"I don't think that would be the best idea." Damon replied uncomfortably. "I'm sure I've done enough damage for one night." He said.

"Want us to stay with you?" Caroline asked and he smiled at her. She was too sweet for her own good.

"Go have fun, Barbie. You too, AB. I need some time to myself." Damon nodded.

"Call us if you need anything." Caroline kissed his cheek.

"I'll come back later." Anna said then kissed his other cheek and followed Caroline out of the room leaving Stefan behind.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Stefan asked him softly and Damon sighed.

"It wasn't your burden to bear, Stef." Damon said as he patted Stefan's arm.

"Now that I know, do you want to talk about it?" Stefan asked him seriously and Damon smirked.

"One day I will, but not today." Damon replied and Stefan nodded then hugged him.

"I love you, Damon." Stefan said to his big brother and Damon rolled his eyes and hugged him back.

"I love you too, Stef." He replied. "Can you do me a favour?" Damon asked and Stefan pulled away to look at him. "Can you ask my better half to come upstairs and talk to me? I really don't want to have to face Gilbert and Lockwood if I don't have to right now." Damon replied. "That is... if he isn't too freaked out by me." Damon added self-consciously.

"I'll get him." Stefan nodded with a smile then left Damon alone in his room. He dried off then pulled on some boxers. He went to the liquor cabinet in his room and pulled out a bottle then lay down under the covers in bed.

* * *

><p>Stefan went downstairs but he couldn't see Ric anywhere. He checked the kitchen and the dining room but there was no sign of him until he saw the small opening in the patio doors. Stefan went outside and found Ric sitting slumped against the wall of the house staring into space.<p>

"Damon wants to know if you'll see him." Stefan replied and Ric blinked then looked at him in disbelief.

"He still wants to see me?" Ric asked sceptically and Stefan looked confused.

"He's worried you're freaked out by what he did." Stefan shrugged.

"Isn't he mad at me?" Ric asked and Stefan's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Why would he be?" Stefan asked.

"I invited Charlie here." Ric replied and Stefan understood.

"No, he's not mad at you; he just wants to see you. He's in his room." Stefan said then went back into the house. Ric stood up and brushed the dirt away from his jeans then went back into the house. He went up the stairs and down the corridor to Damon's room and knocked.

"Come in." Damon said and Ric opened the door then closed it behind him. Damon was sitting up in bed leaning against the headboard, drinking straight out the bottle. Ric noticed he wasn't wearing a shirt and his hair was a little curly as it was beginning to dry. "Are you disgusted with me?" Damon asked hesitantly as Ric hadn't moved to come further into the room.

"Of course not." Ric replied.

"Well, why are you all the way over there then?" Damon asked confused. Ric kicked off his shoes then took off his jeans and got in the bed next to Damon and sat next to him.

"Aren't you mad at me?" Ric asked him and Damon chuckled.

"No, not at all. Why would I be?" Damon asked surprised.

"Because I invited him here to piss you off." Ric replied guiltily.

"You didn't know." Damon shrugged. "The end result is all that matters anyway. Charlie's dead. I'm finally free of him." Damon replied shakily.

"I'm sorry." Ric said softly and Damon put his arm around him and pulled him to lean against him.

"Can we just pretend that today didn't happen?" Damon asked him curiously.

"If you want to." Ric replied. "When you told me you'd never completely slept with a guy before me, did you mean Charlie?" Ric asked and Damon nodded. "Will you tell me what happened?" Ric asked softly.

"Uh..." Damon said. He really didn't want to talk about it but he'd told Anna and he figured if he told him now, he wouldn't have to bring it up again. "He kidnapped me each time, tied me up with vervain soaked ropes and undressed me." Damon swallowed. "He was obsessed with washing so he used to bring down buckets of warm water and wash my body. Then when I'd be clean enough for him he'd... touch me and... use his mouth." Damon whispered. "The first time, I'd only been turned for five years and he let me go after a month because I couldn't get it up." Damon replied. "The second time was after 57 years and it took him 10 weeks to realise that I still couldn't get it up." Damon said. "But the third time, I'd been turned for 104 years and that time he said he would never let me go if I didn't even attempt to enjoy it... so after five months of it... I gave in and let him do what he wanted to me." Damon replied. "I was tied up for just over seven months when a random human found the dungeon and I compelled him to untie me. I drained him dry and ran. The last time I saw him was in the 90s and I was at a club annoying Stefan. He stalked me for months and I was stuck to Stefan like glue so he couldn't take me again." Damon explained. Ric wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly.

"I'm so glad he's dead." Ric said and Damon chuckled.

"Yeah, me too. I'm even happier that it was me who killed him." Damon smirked.

"Is it terrible that I'm glad you didn't just stake him? That would have been too kind for that bastard." Ric said and Damon smoothed Ric's hair with his hand.

"I wanted his death to be worse than what he did to me." Damon replied.

"You mean telling him about us?" Ric asked and Damon nodded.

"Because he knew I chose to be with you... whereas he had to force me." Damon replied. He slid down on the bed so they could lie down and he took Ric with him. He pulled Ric on top of him and kissed him. "Mmm... I've been waiting to do that all night." Damon smirked and Ric pulled away.

"Damon... uh... don't you need a little time?" Ric asked cautiously.

"Why?" Damon asked confused. "You're not him." Damon shrugged then flipped him over so that he was on top of Ric. "That asshole is dead and I want to celebrate." Damon grinned then kissed Ric. "I want..." Kiss. "To move on..." Kiss. "With my..." Kiss. "Sexy..." Kiss. "Boyfriend." Damon said then kissed him again.

"You called me..." Ric said wide eyed and Damon smirked.

"Don't dwell on it." Damon replied then kissed him again and they turned what began as a horrible night into one with a happy ending...


	17. Surprise!

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 17

* * *

><p>It was the morning that they were all leaving for Australia. The flight was at 6am so Stefan said bye to Damon, Ric and Anna the night before. He got up out of bed early in the morning and sauntered down the stairs after looking at his watch. It was still only 6.30am. When he got to the living room he noticed a little white envelope sitting on the table with his name on it. He opened it curiously and read it.<p>

_Dear Stefan_

_Please don't be mad but I went to Australia with Anna, Ric and Damon. I'll call you when we land._

_I love you and I'll miss you so much._

_Caroline_

Stefan stared at the note in disbelief. His girlfriend went on vacation with his brother? Stefan was furious and hurt and he had no idea why she didn't tell him before. He reread the note just to be sure he'd read it properly but the end result was the same. Stefan huffed then he noticed another envelope sitting over on Damon's drinks cart. He shuffled over and opened it, recognising Damon's handwriting immediately.

_Hey Bro,_

_I'm guessing you're pretty pissed off right about now *smirk*. Five weeks without you might make Barbie more up for that threesome..._

_Lots of love,_

_Damon_

_P.S. Kidding, the jet's waiting for you at Hanger 3 in Charlottesville airport as are we, so hurry up before I change my mind._

Stefan actually laughed out loud. Damon was such an ass but he could be really considerate at times too. Stefan raced up the stairs and shoved clothes into a suitcase. He didn't really have vacation clothes but he figured he could just buy them when he got there. He grabbed his passport then raced out the door. He could get to the airport quicker if he ran than took the car, so that's what he did.

* * *

><p>The four of them sat in the comfortable seats on the private jet and Damon was already drinking. He was smirking at the thought that Stefan would no doubt be hurrying to the airport soon. Nobody else knew that he'd done that and he was looking forward to the big grin that Caroline would give him. It was nearly 7am and Damon kept checking his phone. Stefan hadn't called to say that he was on his way.<p>

"What's wrong? Why haven't we left yet?" Caroline asked concerned. "There isn't something wrong with the plane right?" She asked and Damon chuckled.

"I doubt it." Damon replied. "Private jets don't run on a schedule the way commercial flights do." He shrugged. "Maybe there's air traffic." He lied and Ric raised an eyebrow at him as he knew Damon was lying. Damon just smirked at him and Ric narrowed his eyes wondering what Damon was up to.

"You're up to something." Anna said amused and Ric laughed.

"That's what I was just thinking." Ric pointed out.

"What could I possibly be up to?" Damon asked amused.

"Waiting for me." Stefan said with a grin as he got on the flight.

"Stefan!" Caroline exclaimed then jumped up and hugged him while Anna and Ric laughed.

"Thanks." Stefan smiled at his brother and Damon shrugged.

"You would brood so much your forehead would fall off if we just left you." Damon countered and Stefan chuckled.

"You're the best." Caroline grinned at Damon and he smirked at her.

"I know." Damon replied and they all rolled their eyes.

"I thought you weren't coming." Caroline said to Stefan.

"Damon left me a note telling me that you guys were waiting for me and to hurry up before he changed his mind." Stefan grinned and they laughed.

"That's why you kept stalling the plane." Ric smiled at him fondly and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Stefan, just sit down and have a drink, will you? Or I'll throw you off." Damon warned and Stefan chuckled and sat down next to where Caroline had been sitting.

"I can't believe you're drinking already." Stefan laughed.

"Technically, I'm just continuing to drink... Besides, I'm on vacation." Damon shrugged and they all laughed at him.

"From what?" Anna asked amused.

"Flying away from Mystic Falls deserves a celebratory drink." Damon replied.

"I'm really excited; I haven't been to Australia before." Stefan grinned and Damon stared at him in disbelief.

"How is that even possible?" Damon asked.

"I was never as into travelling as you were." Stefan shrugged. "And I didn't feel like going all the way there by myself." Just then the pilot came into the cabin and looked at Damon.

"We ready to go?" The pilot asked Damon.

"We are." Damon nodded.

"Enjoy the flight everyone." The pilot smiled then went back to the cockpit.

"Thanks." They all called after him.

"We should play a game." Caroline suggested with a smile as they took off.

"Not to burst your little bubble but we're going to be on the plane for like a whole day, maybe we should wait with the games for a while." Damon pointed out then she pouted.

"So you're not saying no, just not right now?" She smiled the smile he couldn't say no to and he rolled his eyes.

"Wait at least five hours, okay?" He muttered and she grinned.

"Okay." She chirped and Ric chuckled.

"You're really just a softie, aren't you?" Ric asked amused and Damon cocked his eyebrow.

"Softie, eh?" Damon said and everyone groaned at Ric's choice of words.

"Before you drag Ric into the bathroom to have your way with him, I won't wait five hours for a game if I have to listen to you." Caroline warned and Damon deflated. How did she know he was going to do that?

"Fine." Damon huffed and Ric chuckled.

"See? Softie." Ric teased knowing Damon didn't want to play a game.

"Barbie, what game was it you wanted to play?" He asked and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"Truth or dare." She replied with a shrug. Damon pondered that until the flight was in the air.

"It's worth it." Damon said abruptly and before anyone could register, he'd grabbed Ric and hauled him into the bathroom with him, locking the door behind him.

"Great. Anyone have earplugs?" Stefan muttered.

* * *

><p>Damon had Ric pinned against the bathroom wall before Ric could blink.<p>

"Damon, everyone can hear us!" Ric hissed and Damon smirked.

"We'll be quiet." Damon said and before Ric could reply, Damon cupped him over his jeans and Ric couldn't help growing hard under his touch.

"We can't." Ric whispered but didn't stop Damon from unbuttoning his jeans and sliding them over his hips with his boxers. Damon kneeled before him and took Ric's cock in his mouth and Ric bit his lip to stop a groan from escaping. Alaric was really enjoying it when Damon suddenly stood up.

"I guess we really shouldn't." Damon said amused and Ric stared at him in disbelief.

"You can't just..." Ric said and Damon chuckled then moved forward and pressed himself to Ric and stroked him slowly.

"What do you want?" Damon whispered quietly in his ear so the others wouldn't hear him and Ric groaned as Damon tightened his grip on Ric's cock just a little. "Do you want me to suck your cock or do you want to fuck?" Damon whispered again and Ric's cock throbbed at the thought of either.

"Fuck." Ric whispered back and Damon grinned.

"Excellent." Damon replied. "Against the wall or in front of the mirror?" Damon raised an eyebrow and Ric thought the mirror would be hot.

"Mirror." He stuttered as Damon kept stroking him and Damon grinned then undid his own jeans and took his shirt off then Alaric's until they were both completely naked. Damon moved Alaric to face the mirror then stood behind him. They'd only ever done it face to face before but this was kind of kinky. Alaric gripped the sink with his hands as he watched Damon in the mirror lather himself up with saliva then he did the same with Ric's entrance. He leaned back to whisper in Damon's ear. "Just don't make me pass out this time." He said and Damon laughed.

"Understood." He smiled then wrapped his arms around Ric's waist and kissed his shoulder. He bent Ric forward slightly and started to push into him. Damon saw Ric wince so he stopped.

"It's fine." Ric whispered and Damon nodded and pushed further in. Once he was deep inside he bit into his left wrist and held it in front of Ric who took it gladly then used his right hand to stroke Ric as he started to thrust. It felt so incredible Damon had to concentrate to keep from blowing his load. He looked over Ric's shoulder and saw the pleasure on his love's face as he got fucked from behind. Doing it in front of the mirror had definitely been the right decision and Damon was incredibly turned on. He didn't care that they could probably be overheard by everyone on the flight. Ric opened his eyes a little and saw Damon watching him. He was right, this was hot. He stopped drinking from Damon's wrist then turned his head to kiss Damon over his shoulder. Damon kissed him back hungrily and Ric took Damon's free hand and intertwined their fingers. Damon pulled away when his face changed but Ric gave him a quizzical look.

"I don't want to cut your lips with my teeth." Damon whispered and Ric rolled his eyes. He looked back in the mirror and saw Damon's vampire face over his shoulder. Damon's true face turned him on so much that he couldn't hold it any longer and he came. Damon allowed himself to come too and Ric watched Damon bite into him and watching it turned him on so much he came again much to both of their surprise. Damon let himself slide out and watched the bite wound on Ric's shoulder heal then he wrapped his arms back around Ric and kissed the side of his neck. Damon purposely hadn't let his face go back to its human mask as he hugged Ric. Ric turned around in his arms and gripped Damon back and kissed him. "You like this don't you." Damon gestured to his face and Ric nodded.

"I actually love it." Ric whispered back and Damon smiled at him then kissed him softly.

"Why haven't you asked me to change it more often?" Damon asked curiously and Ric actually blushed causing Damon to chuckle.

"Because then I would just jump you all the time." Ric whispered sheepishly then kissed Damon again but Damon pulled away when Ric tried to deepen the kiss. "Why won't you let me kiss you?" Ric asked softly.

"I told you already." Damon replied.

"I've had your blood, I'd heal." Ric pointed out. "Cant I just try it?" He asked and Damon sighed then kissed him. He was never one to deny Ric anything he wanted. Ric deepened the kiss and explored Damon's mouth with his tongue. Ric was so fascinated by Damon's fangs that he let his tongue trace over them and felt Damon freeze. He ended up nicking his tongue and felt Damon suck down the blood for a second before realizing. Ric felt Damon pierce his own lip so that their blood mingled together as they kissed and Ric was overwhelmed by the feeling of the kiss. It was so intimate and he felt so much in that moment. "I love you." He said as he looked Damon right in the eyes and leaned his forehead against Damon's.

"I love you." Damon said back with a small smile on his face. He saw a strange expression flit over Ric's face then Ric suddenly looked nervous. "What?" He whispered.

"Marry me?" Ric asked softly and Damon choked and coughed.

"WHAT?" Damon exclaimed loudly.

"Marry me. In Australia." Ric nodded and Damon's eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"Yes." Ric said then Damon laughed.

"You're kidding me. You're totally joking right now." Damon said and Ric shook his head.

"I'm not actually." Ric said softly and Damon realised he'd hurt him.

"Can we talk about this when we don't have an audience?" Damon asked as he really needed time to process that.

"Fine." Ric huffed then pulled his clothes on and washed his hands.

"I'm not saying no... You just shocked me. I wasn't expecting you to ask me that." Damon said as Ric looked embarrassed and annoyed. Ric's expression softened a little.

"Just think about it. I love you so much and I want to marry you." Ric said then left the bathroom, leaving Damon standing naked in the bathroom alone, still with a shocked expression on his face. Ric just proposed to him? What? He got dressed quickly, washed his hands and hurried out the door. By the time he got out, Ric was sitting with his headphones on listening to music with a scowl on his face and Stefan gave Damon a funny look, obviously wondering why Ric was in a mood. Damon sat down again next to Ric and Ric looked out the window. Damon then topped up his drink and downed it in one. Ric wanted to marry him? Since when? Did that really just happen?

* * *

><p>Caroline had noticed that Damon and Ric had obviously had a fight or something so she didn't push on the game when they came back out. She waited the five hours as requested and Damon and Ric still hadn't said a word to each other. Or anyone else. Ric just listened to music and read a book and Damon drank and stared into space.<p>

"Okay, I waited five hours." Caroline smiled at Damon and he sighed. He had said five hours.

"Whatever." Damon replied. "I'm not playing." He said and she pouted.

"Yes, you are. Everyone's playing." She said and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I get to go first." Damon smirked at her and she saw that mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Caroline, truth or dare?" He asked her and she gulped.

"Dare." She said and he chuckled.

"I dare you to make out with AB." He said and Stefan rolled his eyes.

"But I haven't kissed a girl before." Caroline said and Damon chuckled.

"It's just like kissing a guy but softer." Damon shrugged.

"For how long?" Caroline asked sceptically.

"I don't know." Damon said exasperated. "30 seconds?" He asked. Caroline went over and sat down next to Anna and the girls kissed. Damon noticed that even though Stefan had rolled his eyes at Damon's dare, he was very much enjoying it. As was Damon.

"Done." Caroline smirked then sat back down.

"That was hot." Damon said and the girls giggled.

"Okay – Ric, truth or dare?" Caroline asked.

"Truth." Ric mumbled but didn't look up from his book.

"Why aren't you and Damon talking?" Caroline asked and Damon rolled his eyes.

"We are talking." Damon said.

"You haven't said a word to each other in five hours." Caroline pointed out and Ric sighed and looked over at her.

"You want to know why?" Ric asked annoyed and she nodded. Damon snapped his head to look at Ric and glared at him but Ric didn't notice or he was ignoring him. "I asked Damon to marry me." Ric said and the other three gaped at them as Damon shook his head in annoyance. Caroline noticed the look of dismay Anna had on her face. "And he said no." Ric added and Caroline saw the look of relief wash over her face as she tried not to smile. Damon clucked his tongue in irritation.

"I didn't say no." Damon pointed out.

"You practically choked to death." Ric countered.

"I can't technically die from choking." Damon said and Ric exhaled loudly.

"Is that the point?" Ric asked him.

"Ric, it's not every day one gets a marriage proposal. You took me by surprise." Damon said.

"Whatever." Ric muttered then started to read again.

"Why didn't you say yes?" Caroline asked Damon in disbelief.

"Now that's a good question, Caroline." Ric said looking up from his book at Damon who sat frozen.

"Can we please talk about this later, Ric?" Damon asked through gritted teeth as he attempted to smile.

"I seriously don't understand you at all." Ric shook his head and started to read again.

"Why are you mad at me?" Damon asked Ric annoyed.

"Because you say you want to be with me forever and you know I'm going to turn to be with you but marriage freaks you out?" Ric asked in disbelief and Damon rolled his eyes.

"First of all, marriage doesn't freak me out; you took me by surprise for God's sake! Second, you would turn into a vampire anyway, regardless whether you were with me or not. And third, I didn't say no!" Damon said.

"You didn't say yes either." Alaric muttered.

"You know what? Just go back to ignoring me. That was far more interesting." Damon said and Caroline's eyes widened that Damon would say that to Ric.

"Fine." Ric huffed and put his headphones back in.

"Damon!" Caroline exclaimed.

"What?" Damon asked annoyed.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Stefan asked him softly.

"Everyone can hear you." Damon replied.

"Just come over here." Stefan muttered. Damon got up from his seat and sat next to Stefan.

"What?" Damon rolled his eyes.

"Anna, no offense, but I need to speak to my brother so what languages do you speak?" Stefan asked.

"None taken. Italian, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, German and Latin." She replied and Stefan nodded.

"Vorbiţi mai români?" Stefan asked Damon. (Do you still speak Romanian?)

"Yes." Damon nodded.

"El serios cerut să se căsătorească cu el?" Stefan asked surprised. (He seriously asked you to marry him?)

"Yes." Damon replied.

"Vrei sa?" Stefan asked. (Do you want to?)

"Stefan, am nici o idee. Pur şi simplu a dat drumul şi m-am gândit că glumeşte. Ea nu a trecut serios mintea mea până acum, dar, evident, el a fost gandit." Damon rolled his eyes. (Stefan, I have no idea. He just blurted it out and I thought he was joking. It hasn't seriously crossed my mind until now but obviously he's been thinking about it.)

"El pare destul de rănit peste reactia ta." Stefan said sadly. (He seems quite hurt over your reaction.)

"Nu crezi că eu ştiu? Nu vreau să-l doare şi în mod normal, as face orice vrea el, dar aceasta este o afacere mare. Prea mare lucru să spunem doar da-l fara sa te gandesti peste." Damon replied softly. (Don't you think I know that? I don't want to hurt him and normally I would do anything he wants but this is a big deal. Too big a deal to just say yes without thinking it over.)

"Damon, ce-ai ajuns să se gândească de peste? Îl iubesc, el te iubeste. Ştiu că nu l-arrenunţa pentru nimic si vrei sa fie cu el pentru totdeauna. Ce te opreşte?" Stefan asked with a small smile. (Damon, what have you got to think over? You love him, he loves you. I know you wouldn't give him up for anything and you want to be with him forever. What's stopping you?) Damon seemed to think it over for a moment then nodded. He stood up and walked back to his seat and sat down. Stefan eyed him curiously. Damon took a deep breath then nudged Ric with his elbow. Ric took off his head phones and looked over at Damon.

"What?" Ric asked and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, I'll marry you." Damon said and Caroline squealed and Ric grinned really widely.

"You will?" Ric asked elated and Damon nodded. Ric crashed his lips to Damon's and Damon chuckled against his mouth.

"But not in Australia." Damon said as he pulled back.

"Why not?" Ric asked confused.

"Because Jim will be seriously pissed off if he's not there considering you eloped the first time." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"I love you." Ric smiled and Damon smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. Can we skip the mushiness now?" Damon asked him and Ric laughed.

"Sure." He said then took Damon's hand and interlaced their fingers. Caroline noticed that Anna was sitting very still in her seat and seemed to be concentrating her gaze out the window. Caroline was sure that Anna had feelings for Damon but she hadn't realised that they were so intense and she felt kind of badly for her, considering Damon had just gotten engaged.

"Congratulations." Stefan grinned at them and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Okay, before the three of you start the hugs and everything, let's have a drink to celebrate instead." Damon suggested and they laughed.

"Can I be your best man?" Stefan asked and Damon laughed.

"Am I not supposed to be the one who decides that?" Damon asked amused.

"Fine." Stefan huffed.

"I would have asked you anyway." Damon shrugged and the grin resurfaced to Stefan's face.

"Can I plan the wedding?" Caroline asked excitedly.

"No." Damon and Ric said in unison then laughed at each other.

"Spoil sports." Caroline sighed.

"Would you let me plan yours?" Damon smirked at her and she frowned.

"No, obviously not." She replied.

"Well, why would I let anyone else do mine?" Damon asked her and she smiled.

"I see your point." She sighed.

"When do you want to do it?" Ric asked and Damon shrugged.

"What about the 25th of May?" Damon asked him with a small smile and Ric's stomach fluttered.

"Works for me." Ric smiled. That was the anniversary of their first non-date.

"Are you going to change your names?" Caroline chirped and Damon chuckled.

"Yes, Caroline. We have been engaged for like a minute and a half and we've clearly had time to discuss everything, especially trivial things like our names." Damon said dryly and she rolled her eyes.

"It was just a question. You could be Salvatore-Saltzman or Saltzvatore or Salvaman." She said as she thought it over.

"This is going to be a long flight." Damon muttered and Ric chuckled.

* * *

><p>Sixteen hours later, they arrived in Perth. The twelve hour time distance was quite strange as they arrived in at 4pm though they all felt like it was the middle of the night. They got into a taxi and travelled to the InterContinental Hotel in Burswood. Damon had arranged it so they all got suites on the same floor.<p>

"What made you pick this hotel?" Ric asked curiously and Damon shrugged as they walked into the lobby.

"It has a really awesome looking bar." Damon replied and Ric chuckled. "And pool. And it has a golf course. You said you wanted to try golf when we got here." Damon reminded him.

"I did, but then you said you wouldn't play." Ric pointed out.

"True, but Stefan likes golf. So you two can do that while I play with the girls in the pool." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"Do you play a lot?" Ric asked Stefan.

"I haven't played in a couple of years but I used to play a lot, yeah. I can teach you." Stefan offered.

"That would be great, Stef." Ric smiled then they walked up to the desk.

"Three rooms for Salvatore." Damon said to the woman without saying hello.

"Hello, Mr Salvatore." The woman grinned at him. "We've been expecting you. Andrew will take your bags up to your rooms if you would like to head over to the bar for a complimentary drink." She smiled and Damon nodded.

"We've just been on a 21 hour flight. I want that drink but we're going to go shower first." Damon explained and she smiled.

"Of course, take your time." She said. "How many room keys do you need?" She asked Damon.

"Three each." Damon replied.

"Certainly." She smiled at him. She got the keys done then handed them over. "I hope you and your party have a very pleasant say in Australia." She said.

"Thank you." Damon smirked at her. They followed Andrew into the lift and Damon handed out keys. He kept one from Anna and Stefan's rooms and gave the spare key to his and Ric's room to Anna.

"Why do we have keys to each other's rooms?" Anna asked him.

"Just in case." Damon shrugged. They decided to shower and have a small nap then all meet down in the lobby to head out for dinner together. Damon and Ric showered together though nothing happened as they were both exhausted. When they were finished, they dried off and didn't bother getting redressed when they got into bed together. Damon pulled Ric into his chest and wrapped his arms around him.

"This suite is huge." Ric commented as he scanned it and Damon chuckled.

"It's the presidential suite. The biggest one they have." Damon replied.

"Why did you get that one?" Ric asked curiously.

"Nothing but the best for my betrothed." Damon smirked and Ric chuckled.

"Betrothed? Now who's showing their age?" Ric asked and Damon kissed him.

"I still can't believe you asked me to marry you." Damon said amused and Ric sighed.

"Do you regret accepting?" Ric asked.

"No." Damon replied. "I love you and it'll always be you." Damon said softly. "Do you regret asking?" Damon smirked then Ric kissed him.

"No. You have no idea how much I just adore you." Ric said and Damon's stomach did that fluttery thing again.

"We're so mushy." Damon chuckled and Ric shrugged.

"Maybe, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm head over heels in love with you." Ric replied.

"Really?" Damon grinned.

"Can't you feel how much?" Ric asked as he looked into Damon's eyes and Damon nodded.

"Sometimes I think I must be dreaming." Damon whispered as he stroked Ric's cheek. "You're everything to me." He added.

"You're everything to me too." Ric said and Damon kissed him softly and tenderly.

"I suppose I should really thank Lockwood." Damon whispered.

"For what?" Ric asked confused.

"For biting me. I would never have told you how I felt otherwise." Damon confessed.

"I'm so glad you did tell me." Ric replied and Damon smiled.

"Me too." Damon nodded.


	18. Shattered

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

Sorry I took so long to update! I'm a scatter brain :/

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 18

* * *

><p>Australia was fantastic. For all five of them. The days were usually spent swimming, exploring or shopping and the nights were spent going to restaurants, bars and clubs. They did spend some time camping in the outback and Damon was fascinated by all the reptiles. Ric wasn't pleased that he was handling poisonous snakes but what could they do to him really? Stefan and Ric found themselves becoming good friends and did a lot of things together while Damon hung out with the girls. Anna had been worried on the plane that she would feel like a fifth wheel but it wasn't like that at all. The only time she was ever alone was when she went to sleep at night so it was fine. She hung out with all of them alone or in groups or the five together. Damon spent a lot of time with Anna and Caroline both separately and together just as Ric did when Damon and Stefan were hanging out. The five of them were really close friends by the time they arrived back in America five weeks later.<p>

Damon and Ric did have dates together and were closer than ever. They hadn't really talked about their upcoming nuptials much since it was so far away but both were really happy together. They did also try hooking up with women. Stefan and Ric had gone out to a club and Damon and the girls went out to a different one. Anna was internally horrified that Damon was allowed to sleep with girls but hadn't gone to her. She thought after their make-out sessions when Charlie was there he would have at least considered her. Things went well for both guys and neither was jealous because they trusted each other. They decided they would continue to do so once a month like planned. It had been a little awkward at first when they were looking for women as they'd only had each other for quite a while, but after a few drinks, things were easier and both enjoyed their nights but stuck to their rule and didn't talk about it.

None of them were happy about being back in Mystic Falls so they all moved to Charlottesville only days after coming back. Damon, Caroline, and Anna moved into the house Damon bought and Stefan and Alaric got another place. Caroline didn't feel ready to live with Stefan yet and Damon and Alaric didn't feel ready to live together yet either. They figured they would wait a few months just to make sure. Damon and Stefan had been getting along so well in Australia, they didn't want to screw up their newfound brotherhood by living together again.

A week after they returned, Damon and the girls were busy down at the building of their business setting things up and Stefan was in town compelling himself a spot at the college. Alaric decided to head over to the museum to see if he could start early because he figured he'd be bored if he just sat about. His new job wasn't starting for another three weeks. He got out of his car and walked up to the museum and was lost in thought.

"Alaric Saltzman." Ric froze and turned around eerily slowly.

"Klaus." Ric said nervously. He was outside. He couldn't outrun him, couldn't defend himself, couldn't do anything.

"We need to talk." Klaus said.

"About what?" Ric asked.

"Damon Salvatore." He replied. "Please accompany me for a coffee." Klaus said gesturing to the cafe next to the museum.

"Okay." Alaric nodded. He could hardly say no to Klaus if he wanted to live. He followed Klaus to the cafe and took a seat across from him in a booth. "What about Damon?" Ric asked.

"I want him." Klaus replied and Alaric looked stunned.

"For what?" Ric asked confused.

"I have been watching him for years. I want him to work with me. I want him in my trusted circle." Klaus said and Ric's jaw dropped.

"Then why are you talking to me about it and not him?" Ric asked confused.

"Because he will never go willingly with me while he is head over heels in love with you." Klaus replied and Ric felt his heart clench. "I need him to want to go willingly or we'll never be able to trust each other."

"Why would I help you?" Ric asked confused.

"I have a little incentive for you." Klaus smiled evilly and Ric felt like he was going to pass out. Klaus pushed over a little folder to Ric who opened it and gasped.

"My family." Ric whispered as he saw photos of his father going to the grocery store and visiting his mother's grave. He saw pictures of Hailey with her friends, Susan at work, Robert in a car park at the supermarket, Oren on the beach and coming out of his apartment...

"If you don't help me, I'll have them all killed. Slowly. Painfully." Klaus said and Ric's eyes started to water. He loved Damon more than life but he would give him up to save his family.

"What do you want me to do?" Ric asked defeated.

"I have been watching the two of you for some time. I understand that you will be working at the museum. I have compelled them to think that you are going to an affiliated museum in Europe for a two week study induction. You will tell Damon that you have to do this. I will give you some of my blood and with that and the two week separation your blood bond will be broken so he won't know that you're lying. When you get back, you will tell him that you want to end things because you started seeing a woman. I need you to break him. I need him broken if this is going to work." Klaus said and Ric gulped. He never wanted to hurt Damon. Never. It would kill him to do it, but someone like Klaus would have no problem killing his family if he didn't do as he said. "If you tell anyone you saw me, your family will be killed. Do you understand?" Klaus asked him seriously and Ric nodded.

"But if I do this for you, you have to give me your word that you won't harm my family and you won't harm Damon. I'll break his heart to save their lives, but not if you don't swear not to hurt them." Ric said. "And no harm to Stefan, Caroline and Anna. Everyone is to be left alone." Ric said and Klaus nodded.

"I give you my word. You break Damon and no harm will come to any of your family and no harm will come to Damon." Klaus agreed. "No harm will come to anyone you care about."

* * *

><p>Ric was shaken after the meeting and Klaus had given him all the details of what he'd told the museum in case Damon asked them. Ric was going to have to leave Charlottesville for two weeks or Damon would sense him. Klaus bought him plane tickets to Europe and paid for a hotel as Klaus wanted Damon so he'd oblige the human that would get him what he wanted. Ric calmed himself and had a drink then went over to Damon's house to tell him that he had to go to Europe. He couldn't act differently or Damon would know. He walked straight into the house and found Damon and the girls there in the living room.<p>

"You didn't call me back." Damon said annoyed.

"Uh... sorry. Was at the museum." Ric said.

"What happened earlier? You were afraid of something." Damon said and Ric laughed. Afraid? Try in mortal peril!

"I saw the raptor thing again." Ric lied and Damon chuckled.

"Did you scream this time?" Damon asked amused and Ric smiled.

"No." He shook his head. "I need to talk to you about something." Ric said and Damon cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm not going to like this, am I?" Damon asked.

"I have to go to Europe for two weeks to the affiliated museum in Portugal." Ric said and Damon shrugged.

"I'll come with you." Damon said and Ric shook his head.

"You can't. I have to stay at this place with the other trainees. It's really important, Damon." Ric said as sincerely as he could and Damon scowled at him.

"Can't I just compel the museum and get you out of it?" Damon asked and Ric sighed.

"Damon, this is a huge opportunity. Only a few of the trainees that are starting in August are invited to it. I really want to do this." Ric said and Damon sighed.

"Fine." Damon muttered.

"You have stuff to do for the business anyway. The two weeks will fly by." Ric said and Damon rolled his eyes.

"Fine but if you come back and I'm married to the girls, you can't complain." Damon teased and he laughed as did the girls.

"I won't." Ric smiled.

"Oh! Guess what I bought today?" Damon asked with a grin then walked over to the table and picked up a brand new copy of a historical journal. Ric's heart clenched knowing which one it was. "It seems I have a famous fiancé." Damon smirked as he turned to the page where Ric's article was then he got a pen. "Can I have your autograph?" Damon asked with a chuckle and the girls laughed... Ric wanted to cry.

"Uh... okay." Ric said then signed his name on it. He thought it was so sweet that Damon remembered that. "What did you think?" Ric asked.

"Brilliant, of course." Damon grinned. "You really are such a geek." He chuckled. "When do you have to go to stupid Portugal?" Damon asked.

"Tomorrow morning." Ric replied and Damon frowned.

"Why didn't you know about this before?" Damon asked.

"I've known it was a possibility but they decided on it today." Ric replied. "I didn't think I would get picked so I didn't see the point of bringing it up." He shrugged. Damon figured there was something he wasn't telling him since Ric usually told him everything.

"Well, do you want to go out tonight?" Damon asked curiously. Ric was acting weird.

"I'm going to need to go pack and stuff so I'd rather stay in if you want to come over." Ric said.

"Alright." Damon nodded. "I'll come over in like an hour." Damon said and Ric nodded then left. "He's being weird." Damon commented when he sat back down and Ric was gone.

"He was being weird." Caroline agreed. "He didn't even kiss you." She said confused.

"I know, right?" Damon frowned.

"I'm sure its fine, Damon. He's probably just going to miss you." Anna said soothingly.

"Mmm." Damon replied. "Guess I'll have time for extra work now." He muttered.

"Maybe it's a good thing. This way you can focus all your energy on the business and maybe we could even open before he gets back." Caroline smiled.

"We do still need to shoot the commercial." Damon nodded and Anna laughed.

"You're not seriously still doing that?" Anna asked and Damon scowled at her.

"Yes, Anna, I am. And so are you both." Damon said sternly.

"You can't force me to be in a sexist commercial." Anna replied.

"Oh, yes I can." Damon said. "You are going to put on something sexy that shows off your body and be a token hot chick in my commercial." Damon said with finality.

"Or what?" Anna asked amused. Damon looked at her with an evil glint in his eye and before she could register his movement he had her pinned on the ground. She was about to say something when he started to tickle her. She was ridiculously ticklish and he knew that. She squealed and screamed and couldn't seem to get him off of her. "Fine! I'll do it!" She yelled and he stopped.

"I know." Damon smirked then stood up and walked back over to take his spot on the couch again.

"I hate you." She muttered as she retook her seat and he chuckled as Caroline laughed.

"No you don't. You love me. Lots and lots and lots." Damon teased her and she rolled her eyes. Damon had no idea that she had feelings for him but he did know that she loved him as a friend.

"You better make a ton of money off this commercial or you're getting your ass kicked." She said and Caroline laughed.

"All three of us are going to make a ton of money from the commercial." Damon grinned. "You're not going to complain too, are you?" Damon cocked his eyebrow at Caroline and she giggled.

"I don't mind being objectified." She smiled and Damon and Anna laughed.

"Can't Caroline just do it?" Anna asked Damon.

"Why don't you want to?" Caroline asked confused.

"I'm just not hot like you are." Anna said to Caroline and both Damon and Caroline's jaws dropped.

"Are you kidding?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"You are so beautiful!" Caroline exclaimed.

"We're vampires, AB. I could have gotten any girls in the world to be my commercial babes but I want you two because you're both the hottest girls I've ever seen." Damon said seriously and Anna blushed.

"And Damon's seen a lot of girls." Caroline said making Damon smirk and Anna laugh.

"Millions. But I want you two. It was supposed to just be you at first until I befriended Barbie." Damon said and Anna smiled.

"Fine." She said rolling her eyes and Damon chuckled.

* * *

><p>Alaric went home and sobbed his eyes out. He knew he had to get control of himself otherwise Damon would know. He had a quick shower and started to pack. He was almost done when Damon showed up. Alaric thought it was weird that Damon knocked on the door since he always just came in usually.<p>

"Hey." Alaric said when he opened the door.

"Hey." Damon replied then Alaric stood to the side and let Damon in.

"Stefan's taking Caroline out tonight so we have the house to ourselves." Alaric said and Damon nodded.

"Ric, you're being weird." Damon blurted and Alaric sighed.

"I'm sorry. I'm just really going to miss you." Alaric said honestly and Damon smiled.

"You know I'll miss you too, Ric." Damon smirked. "What do you want to do tonight?" He asked as he casually sauntered into the living room.

"You." Alaric replied and Damon snapped his head to look at him then grinned.

"That can be arranged." Damon said and Alaric smiled. This could be the last night he ever had with him. He wanted it to be perfect.

"I want something to think about while I'm gone." Alaric said and Damon's smile fell then he pinned Ric to the wall.

"Are you leaving me tomorrow?" Damon asked in a whisper while he looked into Alaric's eyes.

"What do you mean?" Alaric asked confused.

"You're going to come back, right?" Damon asked hesitantly.

"I'll be back in two weeks. I promise." Alaric replied and Damon smiled again.

"You haven't kissed me today." Damon pouted without moving from his position against Alaric.

"Sorry." Alaric said then leaned forward and kissed him. Damon kissed back just as softly then moved his hands to hold Alaric's face. "I love you, Damon." Alaric said when he pulled away.

"I love you too." Damon smiled. "You're still acting weird though." Damon pointed out.

"I'm just nervous." Alaric replied. It's not like that was a lie.

"I can get you out of that." Damon said seductively.

"Okay, but no blood today." Ric said and Damon took a step back to eye him suspiciously.

"You're the one that always wants to share blood. More than me and I'm a vampire. What's going on?" Damon asked.

"You're going to get mad." Ric sighed.

"Try me." Damon crossed his arms over his chest.

"I was worried that I would go and we would both be miserable because of the blood bond since we would be far away from each other. We haven't shared blood since the last day in Australia and I just need these two weeks to go well because this job is important to me so I can't afford to be miserable all day and maybe do something stupid like ditch them half way through because I miss you. You said that the bond would be gone in a couple of weeks if we didn't keep doing it and I just figured that we could start it again when I get back." Ric said and Damon's expression hadn't changed. "I also... so that I wouldn't be tempted tonight... I drank vervain." Ric said and Damon blinked in surprise.

"You think I would bite you if you asked me not to?" Damon asked hurt. Ric could see how betrayed he looked. "You said you trusted me. This isn't trusting me." Damon said sadly.

"I do trust you. I don't trust myself. When I'm with you it's like we're in our own little bubble and I just want every part of you. I know myself well enough to know that we'd be in the middle of something and I wouldn't care and I'd want your blood and I'd want you to take mine. I took the vervain because of that." Ric explained.

"If you trust me then why are you lying to me?" Damon asked seriously.

"I'm not lying." Ric replied.

"You're being weird with me, you're just suddenly taking off, you don't seem to want to touch me, you want to stop our bond and you drank vervain. There's something going on that you aren't telling me." Damon said emotionally. Ric knew that things were going downhill fast with this conversation. He and Damon just knew each other so well; he should have known Damon would see right through him. He had to say something that would turn things around.

"Fine, I'm worried about your relationship with Anna. It's obvious that she has feelings for you and I'm worried that I'll go away, you'll spend all two weeks with her and have feelings for her by the time I get back." Ric said and Damon's jaw dropped.

"You think... So you don't trust me. You think I'm going to cheat on you." Damon said angrily.

"I didn't say that." Ric replied and Damon gave him a look of disbelief.

"Are you not happy with me?" Damon asked him honestly.

"Of course I am." Ric replied without thinking then wanted to slap himself.

"Then what the hell is the problem? I love you. I want you. We're supposed to be getting married for God's sake. You don't see me standing here worried that you're going to cheat. Why would I cheat on you?" Damon asked in disbelief.

"I didn't say you would do anything." Ric pointed out. "I'm just worried about how close you two are."

"She's my best friend. I love her. She's important to me. I'm never not going to be friends with her, but that's all we are. We are just friends." Damon urged Ric to believe him and Ric sighed.

"Fine." Ric nodded.

"Fine?" Damon asked annoyed.

"What do you want me to say?" Ric asked confused.

"We've been together for months. I've never given you any reason to believe that there would ever be anyone else." Damon said.

"I'm sorry." Ric said softly unable to make eye contact. That's when Damon knew. He knew that Ric was going to end things with him. Ric couldn't even look him in the eye.

"Have a nice trip." Damon said then walked to the door.

"Wait." Ric said and Damon turned around just as he got to the door. "Why are you leaving?" Ric asked.

"I'm not going to have some epic last night with you. I know you're lying to me. I never lie to you. Never. I love you so much, Ric, and I only want to be with you. I thought I could trust you with anything just like you could trust me, but you're hiding something so go to Europe. Go and do this thing that's so important to you and think about this. When you come back, I want the truth." Damon said. "Don't call me and I won't call you. Use the two weeks to think whatever this lie is over. I don't want you to talk to me until you can tell me the truth." Damon said then sped out the door.

* * *

><p>Damon ran home as fast as he could. He got in the door and went straight for a bottle of bourbon. He started to drink and tears escaped down his cheeks.<p>

"Damon?" Caroline said and he turned around to see Stefan, Caroline and Anna coming into the room.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked him concerned when she saw his tear streaked cheeks. He wiped them away then turned his back on them again.

"Ric's leaving me." Damon said quietly and they gasped.

"What?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"What happened?" Caroline asked as she ran over to him and hugged him. He hugged her back tightly and sobbed into her neck. Caroline shot a worried look to Stefan and Anna since Damon never cried like this. She wasn't sure she'd ever seen him cry before. She rubbed his back and held him tighter. They'd all gotten so close in Australia that Damon didn't feel like he had to hide his emotions from them anymore. He would never cry in front of anyone else but those three and Ric were everything to him so he didn't care.

"He drank vervain." Damon said and their jaws dropped. They all knew how much Ric loved blood sharing with Damon so that shocked them. "He was standing there lying to me, giving me excuse after excuse about why he wasn't telling me the truth about whatever the hell is going on. Then he had the nerve to say he was worried I was going to cheat on him while he's in Portugal." Damon said shakily.

"You would never cheat on him." Caroline said angrily.

"He knows that." Damon replied. "He only said it because he wanted the conversation to turn to me." Damon said. "He's making up excuses because I'm sure he's going to come back and tell me he doesn't want to be with me anymore."

"Why wouldn't he want to be with you anymore?" Stefan asked confused. "Where is this coming from?" Stefan asked.

"No idea." Damon shook his head and let go of Caroline then Anna took her place and he hugged her tightly too. "I think its hit him that I'm a vampire and that being with me would mean no family." Damon said softly. "I think he's probably decided that he can't do it anymore."

"You sound like you expected this." Stefan said confused and Damon nodded against Anna's shoulder.

"I knew from day one that this day might come. I figured it would either be because I'm a guy, because I'm a vampire or because he would maybe want kids." Damon said then pulled away from Anna and wiped his eyes.

"But that isn't fair." Stefan said. "How could he ask you to marry him then change his mind like that?"

"Don't be mad at Ric, Stefan." Damon said softly. "He didn't actually break up with me. He might come back from Europe and everything will be fine. Or he'll come back and finish things with me. I told him to really think about whatever it was that he was keeping from me and tell me the truth when he gets back."

"What are you going to do if he does want to end things?" Stefan asked concerned.

"I know you're worried that I'll go on a rampage or turn it off or whatever but I won't." Damon said as he stared at the wall. "I'll get over it eventually." He said though he knew it to be a lie. "I can't turn it off anymore anyway." He said sadly.

"I can't believe he drank vervain." Caroline said in disbelief.

"Yeah, that stung." Damon nodded.

* * *

><p>Ric was distraught. He didn't know what to do. He knew he was betraying Damon so badly by doing this but he couldn't risk Klaus killing his family and he knew that Klaus would do it without blinking if he had to. He was on the flight to Portugal and he couldn't stop staring out the window. He couldn't stop the tears that blinded him. Klaus had given him blood at the airport before he got on the plane. Klaus had overheard his argument with Damon and praised him for it which made him feel sick. If he told Damon the truth, that Klaus wanted him to dump him, he wasn't sure what Damon would do. Ric wouldn't be able to hide his whole family from Klaus. If he had to sacrifice his love for Damon and Damon's love for him, so be it. He couldn't let them all die... Even though he knew he'd never be the same again without Damon Salvatore.<p>

* * *

><p>Normally, Damon would drink and grump and be an ass to everyone. He's wasn't doing that. Stefan was worried. Anna was worried. Caroline was worried. They were wondering when he was going to snap. He'd been extra nice to them all since the night before Ric left. It had been a week. Damon hadn't talked to Ric in a week. Damon smiled and laughed and was nice and caring and thoughtful. They were all very worried.<p>

Ric hadn't contacted any of them. Stefan and the girls had all tried to call him and he hadn't called back. Damon was working hard at the shop and on the commercial to get it perfect. As promised, Anna came up with the name. _D._. Damon didn't like it. Damon preferred _AB.C.D. Cars _so the ladies' names came first. That's what they named the shop.

Damon didn't cry again. He didn't look or act upset. He was calm and nice and Stefan followed him a couple of times – he wasn't killing people. He wasn't even feeding fresh. He wasn't bringing Alaric up but if he did come up, Damon didn't flinch or grimace or look uncomfortable. They were all very worried. They decided to talk to him. Damon had made dinner for everyone and they ate, had a good time then had a drink together in the living room.

"Damon? What's going on?" Stefan asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked confused.

"You've been like _really_ nice for the last week." Stefan said and Damon chuckled.

"You spent over a century trying to get me to be nice to you then when I am you have a problem?" Damon asked amused and Stefan sighed.

"Of course not. I'm just worried about you." Stefan said sincerely and Damon nodded.

"Alright, you want to hear a sappy speech, I'll give you a sappy speech. I know you're all expecting me to snap because I miss Ric and I'm pissed off with him. I know how I was with you when his mother died and I missed him. The truth is... I love the three of you." Damon said honestly. "We all got so close in Australia and I trust the three of you completely. When Ric and I got together, he was really all I had, but that's not the way it is anymore. I have two best friends that I adore and would do anything for and I have my baby brother back in my life. I refuse to take my frustrations out on any of you. Before, that's what I would have done because I didn't love or trust anyone then so what did I care if I took it out on them? I do miss Ric and I am angry and hurt but he isn't my whole world anymore. I have you three now too so I'm finding it easier to deal with because I know I'm not alone. I know in my gut that Ric will come back and finish things with me and I'm preparing for that. Yes, I'll be heartbroken and angry when he does and I know I'll be an embarrassing girly mess over it." Damon rolled his eyes. "But, I'll deal with it and get over it eventually because of you three. I've been going over everything in my mind and I don't know what I did wrong. Normally, I'm sure it would be really obvious considering if someone was killed or something happened it would most likely be me but this time I don't know. I don't know if it's because I took so long to say yes on the plane or the fact his brother is a werewolf or if I did something else..." Damon trailed off as he continued to stare at his hands. "I won't know what I did to fuck things up until he tells me so I'm not going to sit and waste time getting drunk or killing people because I'd rather work at the shop or hang out with you three because it makes me happy. So, if I've been a little nicer to you than usual, it's just because I appreciate that you're there for me, even if I don't deserve it." Damon said then hesitantly looked up at them to see them all with watery eyes. "I think I grew up." Damon smirked and they laughed which was what he was going for.

"We'll always be here for you and we'll always love you, Damon." Caroline said sincerely.

* * *

><p>It had been ten days since Ric left and Damon was getting a little worried about him. Nobody had heard from him and he couldn't feel him anymore. He couldn't even feel if he was alive or dead. He just wanted to know that Ric was alive and well. So he called Jim, Ric's dad. Anna and Caroline were with him when he called.<p>

"_Hello?_" Jim answered.

"Hi, Jim. It's Damon. How are you?" Damon asked politely.

"_Hi, Damon! It's so nice to hear from you! I'm doing pretty good. How's Portugal?_" Jim asked and Damon felt confused.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"_Ric said the two of you were in Portugal for two weeks before his job started._" Jim said and Damon's jaw dropped.

"I'm in Charlottesville." Damon said softly.

"_What? Where's Ric?_" Jim asked.

"He told me he had to go work at an affiliated museum in Portugal for two weeks before the job started." Damon said emotionlessly. "I was just calling to ask if you'd heard from him because I haven't."

"_Damon. I am so sorry. I'm going to slap that bonehead silly when I see him._" Jim said angrily. Damon actually wanted to laugh at the word 'bonehead' but couldn't muster it. He saw Caroline and Anna sitting wide eyed staring at him.

"Have you talked to him?" Damon asked softly.

"_I spoke to him yesterday._" Jim said sadly.

"What did he say?" Damon asked.

"_That he was having a great time relaxing with you by the pool and going out to nice dinners and stuff._" Jim said apologetically.

"So he hasn't mentioned the museum then?" Damon asked for confirmation.

"_No, I'm sorry._" Jim said.

"Okay. Thanks, Jim. Sorry I bothered you." Damon said a little brokenly then hung up. He blinked his eyes so tears wouldn't well up then dialled another number.

"_Museum of Natural History, how may I help you?_" The woman answered in a bored tone.

"Hi, do you have an affiliated museum in Portugal?" Damon asked.

"_I'm sorry sir, we don't. Our affiliates are in Italy, Spain, Germany..._" Damon hung up.

"What the hell is he doing in Portugal then?" Anna asked angrily and Damon took a deep breath then exhaled and dialled number 1 on his speed dial. It rang four times before he answered.

"_Damon?_" Ric answered sleepily as it was the middle of the night there.

"I just wanted to know that you were alive since I couldn't sense you anymore so I called your dad. There's no museum in Portugal that's affiliated with the one here. I think you better get back here and explain yourself." Damon said then hung up because he didn't want Ric to know he was welling up. The girls moved to sit on either side of Damon and he put his arms around them and they cuddle into his sides.

"It'll be okay, Damon." Caroline said softly.

"I'm going to kick his lying ass." Anna said annoyed.

"No, you're not." Damon said to Anna in a whisper. "He's only human, AB. Remember when we talked about that in the car and you said that you were too old to be with a human?" Damon asked her emotionlessly and she nodded. "I should have known this wouldn't have worked out." He said.

"He could have an explanation." Caroline said hopefully and Damon smiled then kissed her forehead.

"Tell you what, you hope for an explanation and I'll start preparing to have my heart broken." Damon said to her.

* * *

><p>The following night, Damon was sitting in the living room. They had three couches there; he was on one, Anna and Tyler were on the other and Stefan and Caroline were on the third. Damon had been fairly quiet since he called Ric. He was trying to prepare himself as much as he could. Then there was a knock at the door and he closed his eyes. It could only be one person. He refused to cry in front of Tyler so he put on a cold front as much as he could. He had been in so much of a daze while he prepared that Stefan had gone, opened the door, let him in and directed Alaric into the living room without Damon noticing. Alaric sat down quietly on the same couch Damon was sitting on but left a large space between them.<p>

Ric had cried his heart out for nearly two weeks. He'd lied through his teeth to his father about having a good time. He hadn't left his room apart from to go back to the airport. He knew what he had to do. Klaus wanted him to break up with Damon publicly. Klaus wanted Damon to snap. Alaric knew that Klaus was listening so he had to do as he was told. He'd shown Ric more pictures of his family. He wasn't kidding around.

Damon turned his head slowly to look at Ric. Ric looked guilty beyond belief.

"Did you sleep with someone else?" Damon asked. Ric knew he had to lie so he nodded. "More than once?" Damon asked and Ric had to lie again so he nodded. "Who?" Damon asked.

"A colleague at the museum." Ric lied.

"Why?" Damon asked shakily.

"I don't know." Ric whispered. "It just happened."

"Do you want to be forgiven for this?" Damon asked and everyone was stunned that Damon would forgive him for that but Ric shook his head.

"No." He said and Damon nodded. Damon understood that Ric had met someone else.

"Just say it, Ric." Damon said in a small voice.

"I can't be with you anymore." Ric said and Stefan, Caroline, Anna and Tyler's jaws dropped. Damon felt his heart shatter. Ric felt his own heart shatter at the words. Damon kept his face calm. He kept his expression blank. He wasn't going to be able to do it much longer though.

"Can you go?" Damon asked in a whisper. "Please?" Damon asked and Ric nodded. Ric could see that Damon was trying not to fall apart and it hurt him so much. He hated Klaus so much and vowed to himself that he would start looking for a way to kill him so he could get Damon back.

"Goodbye, Damon." Ric said as tears welled in his eyes and he hurried out the door and closed it behind him. Damon turned his head away from the door and stared at the wall for a minute. He needed to keep it together for just a few more minutes.

"So, that's awkward." Damon said shakily. "Girls, I know you want to start with the hugs and everything, but I'm just going to go to my room for a while, okay? I'll talk to you tomorrow." Damon said then stood up and walked up the stairs to his room.

"I can't believe that just happened." Caroline gasped.

"Did you hear that?" Anna asked alarmed. "He went to the weapons drawer. Fuck." She said then zipped up the stairs with Caroline and Stefan on her heels and went straight into Damon's room where he was passed out on his bed with a vervain dart hanging out of his arm. Anna pulled it out then turned to Caroline and Stefan.

"You don't think he'll stake himself, right?" Caroline asked frantically.

"No." Anna shook her head.

"He just couldn't deal with it. He had to make it go away." Stefan said sadly.

"Care, go get some blood and some whiskey. Stefan, send Tyler home. I'm going to stay with him. I can overpower him just in case he gets it into his head that he can't do this anymore." Anna said and they nodded then left. Anna sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Damon's cheek softly. She was so worried about him.

* * *

><p>Damon groggily opened his eyes and noticed Anna cuddled into his side.<p>

"Hey." She said softly cupping his cheek. He moved his hand up to cover hers.

"Hey." He replied.

"You need blood." She said and he nodded then drank down the bag she offered him. "Now, you need whiskey." She said then handed him the bottle and he took a swig.

"Thank you." Damon whispered.

"I know it's not the same thing, but I think you and I should get away and I'll try and cheer you up like you did for me." She said and he smiled softly. She knew she loved him but he was her best friend and she would do anything for him. She was never going to make a move on him and she accepted that that's all they were ever going to be and that was fine with her.

"Well, we do need to go to the Grand Canyon next week." He smirked. "Why don't we start driving there early?" He asked.

"I think that's a great idea." She smiled softly then she noticed Damon's face contort to one of pain.

"I feel like there's a hole in my chest." Damon admitted as tears welled in his eyes and her heart broke for him.

"I'm so sorry, Damon." She said wholeheartedly then pulled him into her arms. He wrapped himself around her then the tears broke free and he cried his heart out.


	19. The Truth

I don't own The Vampire Diaries, I'm just a fan :)

**I found a fanfic that is just the best! It's called 'Get Me to the Church' by Ellen Smithee.**

**It is the funniest and most brilliant one shot I've ever read and if you like D/A, you have no choice but to check it out! I would love to hear your opinions on it as I think I've read it about 40 times already. :D**

* * *

><p>Lost Boys<p>

Chapter 19

* * *

><p>Stefan stayed at Damon and the girls' house that night as he wanted to be there for his brother. Caroline and Stefan sat outside his closed door and heard him cry his heart out. Both of them were in tears at hearing Damon so broken hearted but they felt like they couldn't just leave him. They stayed up all night and heard Damon eventually fall asleep from exhaustion. The two of them were so worried about him – after hearing Damon cry like that, neither cared if he snapped – they just wanted to take his pain away. Early in the morning, they went to bed, knowing that Damon and Anna would wake up soon. Anna was Damon's best friend and they figured he'd maybe be embarrassed at them hearing him cry like that and maybe giving them some time alone when he woke up would make him feel a tiny bit better.<p>

Damon woke up first and saw Anna fast asleep beside him. He felt kind of numb in that moment and he was thankful for that. He didn't want to be overtaken with grief again like he had the night before. Yes, he was broken hearted, but Anna, Caroline and Stefan were his reason to live now and he couldn't let them down. He knew that Stefan and Caroline had been in the hall when he was upset. He knew they wanted to be there for him but didn't know how. He got up silently and slipped out of his room without waking Anna and went downstairs. He was starving and wanted some coffee surprisingly. He checked the letterbox and got the morning paper like he did every morning. He went into the living room and made himself comfortable on the couch and sipped his coffee after he'd downed a blood bag. Half way into the paper he heard Anna yell his name and seconds later Anna, Stefan and Caroline rushed into the room and froze while they stared at him.

"What?" Damon asked as he looked up from the paper.

"You're... reading the paper." Anna said confused.

"I do that every morning, AB. You do know that though." Damon said casually then took a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah... I just..." She said awkwardly and he sighed.

"Well, since you're all up now, you might as well sit down. We need to talk." Damon said with a sigh and Anna sat next to him while Caroline and Stefan sat on the opposite couch. "I don't want any of you to act any differently with Ric just because he dumped me." Damon said and they looked at him like he was stupid.

"What?" Stefan asked in disbelief.

"Stefan, you and him became really good friends in Australia and you live together. You can't just stop that because of this." Damon said seriously. "I wouldn't stop being friends with Barbie if she dumped you." Damon pointed out.

"You can't be serious." Stefan said. "You still want me to live with him?" Stefan asked shocked.

"If I was your friend and not your brother, you wouldn't be asking that." Damon pointed out.

"But you are my brother and he cheated on you. How am I supposed to be alright with that and just ignore it?" Stefan asked and Damon shrugged.

"I thought about it and he didn't cheat on me." Damon said seriously.

"What?" They all asked in unison.

"I know Alaric Saltzman inside out. He was lying his ass off last night." Damon said. "There's no way he slept with someone else." Damon said.

"Then why would he say he did?" Caroline asked confused.

"He obviously has his reasons for ending things and he obviously couldn't tell me what they were and saying he did that would be the obvious reason to break up." Damon said. "He's still one of the best people I've ever known and I will be seriously pissed if any of you make him feel badly for this. Everyone has the right to end a relationship that doesn't make them happy and he shouldn't be punished for that, got it?" Damon asked them. They were all surprised by how rational he sounded.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked sceptically and Damon nodded.

"Stefan, you're probably his best friend and he's probably yours. I saw his face when he left. He was just as upset as I was. You should be there for him." Damon said. "AB is my best friend, you are Ric's best friend and Barbie is both. This doesn't have to be awkward. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to visit you there if I can help it but it's not like I hate him." Damon said seriously.

"Okay." Stefan nodded.

"If you're sure." Caroline agreed.

"I'm sure." Damon said.

"Well, I can't." Anna said seriously and Damon smirked.

"I figured." He winked at her and she smiled. "Stefan, you should go over there and see if he's okay." Damon said seriously. "Just... don't tell him that I bubbled like a baby, okay?" Damon smirked and Stefan smiled at his brother then nodded. Stefan figured that was Damon's way of saying he knew that Caroline and him were outside the door.

"Alright, I'll go home." Stefan agreed then went upstairs to get dressed.

"AB, I know we said last night that we'd go to the Grand Canyon early but I have a bunch of meetings I can't cancel this week but we could do something after that if you want." Damon said to her.

"Sure." She nodded.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked him softly and he sighed.

"No. But I'll get there." Damon said to her.

* * *

><p>Stefan left and went over to his and Ric's house. He let himself in the door and Ric came downstairs. Stefan saw his red puffy eyes and felt badly for wanting to cut him out of his life. Ric looked stunned to see Stefan.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Ric asked surprised.

"I live here." Stefan replied softly then hugged Ric who then started to sob again. Ric hugged him tightly back. "You're my best friend, Ric, and that won't change." Stefan said then rubbed his back. "Are you okay?" He asked against his shoulder and Ric shook his head.

"No." He said. Damon specifically told Stefan not to ask why Ric dumped him because he didn't want to put any pressure on Ric. Damon figured that Ric would tell the truth about it eventually. Ric was so surprised that Stefan was still there for him considering it was less than 24 hours earlier that he was dumping his brother.

"You'll be okay, Ric." Stefan said soothingly.

"Is..." Ric started then felt he had no right to ask.

"Damon's okay. Don't worry." Stefan said softly.

"Does he know you're here?" Ric asked as he pulled away and wiped his eyes.

"Yeah." Stefan replied.

"I'm surprised you came back." Ric said.

"I know you didn't cheat on Damon." Stefan said and Ric's eyes widened which was confirmation for Stefan that Damon had been right.

"What?" Ric asked shocked.

"Damon knows too. I think you forget that he knows you inside out just like you know him." Stefan pointed out. "I'm not going to ask for your reasons, Ric. Damon accepts that you had to end things for your own reasons that you couldn't tell him so I accept that too. Damon said earlier that everyone has the right to finish a relationship and they shouldn't be punished for that and he was right. Just because things didn't work out between you and my brother doesn't change the fact that you and I are friends. You can still trust me if you do feel you need to talk about it. I won't ever repeat what you tell me. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine too. I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you." Stefan said.

"Thank you, Stefan." Ric said sincerely though his words broke Ric's heart even more as Damon just accepted that Ric didn't want him. Just like that. He knew that Damon, although egotistical on the outside, was fragile on the inside and didn't hold himself in high regard at all. He wanted to scream. He wanted to tell Stefan that he loved Damon more than anything and wanted him more than he wanted to live but he couldn't. So he didn't.

* * *

><p>The week dragged by for Damon. Some parts of the day were fine when he kept himself busy but when he was alone, he felt like the walls were crashing in on him. He felt despair like never before. He needed to do something about it, so he silently pretended that everything was okay and he would be with Ric soon. He knew that wasn't normal or healthy and he knew he couldn't keep thinking like that as it was truly over, so he did something majorly embarrassing – he bought himself a self-help book. Four of them actually. He read them when he was alone and ditched them as soon as he was finished so that Stefan and the girls wouldn't see. He read advice columns and looked up answers online. The general opinion seemed to be a rebound... so, on the Friday almost a week after his break up, he accepted a date with a receptionist he met while downtown at a meeting. She was stunningly beautiful and they'd talked for almost an hour while he waited and she was funny and nice and he figured it couldn't hurt to try the rebound thing – he just wanted to feel better already.<p>

He was going out with her that night so when he got home late from the office he hurried up to his room, showered then put on a dapper dark grey suit with a white shirt and a black tie. He had to admit, it did feel good to be getting ready for something. When he went downstairs, Anna and Caroline were in the living room watching TV and they looked up at him and their jaws dropped.

"Wow, you look gorgeous." Caroline grinned at him and he smirked.

"Thanks, Barbie." Damon winked at her.

"Are you going out?" Anna asked surprised.

"Mmhmm." Damon nodded.

"With who?" Caroline asked.

"This girl I met called Chloe." Damon shrugged.

"You have a date?" Caroline asked in disbelief and Damon smirked.

"Apparently the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else." Damon said and they giggled.

"I think it's great." Caroline grinned.

"Where are you taking her?" Anna asked curiously.

"Dinner and dancing." Damon said.

"So is this a date-date or a sex and blood date?" Anna asked and Damon chuckled.

"The first one." Damon said amused. "Well, it's not like I'm going to marry this girl but a couple of dates just to keep myself busy might be a good idea." Damon said and they nodded.

"Have fun." Caroline smiled at him.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Anna said amused and he chuckled.

"See you later, girls." Damon smiled at them then left.

"Is it just me, or is that weird?" Caroline asked Anna who laughed.

"Damon actually smiled. That's enough for me to be on board with whatever ridiculous crap he's up to." Anna said and Caroline giggled.

"I have to tell Stefan this one." Caroline said and pulled her phone out.

* * *

><p>Stefan was sitting watching a movie with Ric with a drink when his phone rang.<p>

"Hey, babe." Stefan answered with a smile as he saw it was Caroline.

"_Hey. You are not going to believe this._" She said.

"I'm not going to believe what?" Stefan asked amused by her 'gossip' tone.

"_Damon just left looking gorgeous to go out on a date._" She said and Stefan's jaw dropped.

"Come again?" Stefan asked shocked oblivious to Ric's curious expression.

"_Damon met this girl called Chloe and he's taking her out to dinner and dancing._" Caroline said.

"What do you mean he's on a date? What kind of date? Like a feed and fuck or a real date?" Stefan asked confused. What the hell was going on with Damon?

"_Anna asked him the same thing._" Caroline giggled. "_He said it was a real date._"

"I really don't know what to say to that." Stefan said honestly and she laughed.

"_I know, right?_" She said.

"What else did he say?" Stefan asked curiously.

"_Apparently to get over Ric he's going to start dating people. Like actual dating and not whoring himself around._" Caroline said and Stefan blinked in surprise.

"Wait – I just registered that you said gorgeous." Stefan said. "What do you mean?" He asked and she laughed.

"_He was dressed in this amazing dark grey suit, his hair was slicked, he had cologne on... He really made an effort._" She said.

"Uh... Do you want me to come over?" Stefan asked unsure what to do.

"_No. I'll text you with the details when he gets back. Anna and I are going to stay up to hear about it._" She said.

"Alright." Stefan nodded. "I'll speak to you later then."

"_Okay, love you._" She said.

"Love you too." Stefan said then hung up and stared at the TV. He saw Alaric looking really depressed.

"So Damon's on a date?" Ric asked softly.

"I'm sorry. I should have gone in the other room." Stefan said awkwardly.

"No, it's fine." Ric shook his head. He knew that he was a wallower when he was depressed but Damon was a go out, get drunk and have lots of sex kind of wallower so he shouldn't have expected anything different. "I'm just going to call it a night early." Ric said unevenly then hurried up to his room and Stefan sighed. He had no idea what to do. He knew that Ric was completely broken over the loss of Damon – more so than even Damon was maybe. He just had no idea why Ric dumped him if he was this upset over losing him but Damon didn't want him to ask so he couldn't. He'd heard Ric sobbing in his room quietly all week and Stefan was really worried about him but he had no idea what to say about it or do for him to make it better or to fix things between the two of them.

* * *

><p>Damon had an amazing evening with Chloe. She was lovely company and he actually wanted to see her again. He walked in the house with a real smile on his face and saw that the girls were still up. He figured they stayed up for all the details.<p>

"Hey!" Caroline exclaimed happily.

"Did you have a good time?" Anna asked with a smile and he smiled back at them both. He just so loved them.

"It was great actually." He nodded.

"So? We want all the juicy details." Caroline grinned and he laughed.

"You're such a little gossip, Forbes." Damon smirked at her and she giggled.

"Yeah, but you knew that. So?" She asked.

"She's fun and interesting and beautiful and I'm seeing her again on Sunday." He said.

"I don't care about that part." She rolled her eyes. "What was the kiss like?" She grinned and he laughed.

"Do I look like a girl, Barbie?" He asked amused. "Do you think I'm going to sit and gossip with you?" He asked.

"Yes, because you love me and you know that I love the gossip." She said and he chuckled. He leaned on the bookshelf and was about to give her some details just to make her happy when he happened to glance to the side and noticed the historical journal sitting on the shelf and his smile fell. The girls noticed immediately and they wanted to slap themselves for not hiding that. Damon lifted it slowly and looked at it. It was still open at the page where Alaric had signed it and Damon stared at it and felt the flood gates open. He turned his head away from the girls so they wouldn't see his eyes welling up, tossed the journal on the shelf then walked out of the room and up to his bedroom. He didn't want them to hear him break down again so he went into his bathroom and put the shower on. He sobbed into his hands then felt like he was burning up and being suffocated. He pulled the tie off and tossed it on the floor then collapsed on the shower floor with the water running over him. He was pretty sure that he was having a panic attack which, if he really thought about it, was ridiculous considering he was a vampire. The water did feel good though so he just sat there and was an embarrassing mess.

* * *

><p>Anna and Caroline watched him hurry out of the room after he tossed the journal aside and they looked at each other wide eyed.<p>

"Crap." Caroline whispered. Anna hurried over and lifted the journal then hid it in a drawer that nobody ever opened. They figured that Damon wanted some time alone but after about 20 minutes Anna was concerned.

"The shower's been on for a while." Anna said worried and Caroline nodded.

"I'll go." She whispered then hurried up to Damon's room. She peeked in and he wasn't in his bed so she went over to his bathroom and saw him sitting still in his suit in the shower crying his eyes out in his hands. That broke Caroline's heart. She was wearing her pyjamas so she didn't care if they got wet. She kicked off her slippers then sat down in the shower with him and pulled him into her arms and she rocked him back and forth while rubbing his back. He held onto her tightly and realised he was being a mess again and he was sure he'd be embarrassed about this later but he was too upset to care in that moment. He realised that he didn't want to be alone and for the first time he wasn't. He knew that for a fact. He had Caroline. He had Anna. He had his brother. He knew they weren't going anywhere. He loved them and they loved him. That would have to be enough and it was.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to Caroline when he calmed down a little and realised they were both drenched.

"You don't have to be sorry, sweetheart." Caroline cupped his cheek. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" She asked him softly and he nodded and she embraced him again. When Damon felt better, he switched off the shower and helped her up then got her a towel in silence.

"Thank you for being there for me." He whispered to her unable to meet her eyes.

"I always will be, Damon." She squeezed his hand lightly. She seemed to understand that he wanted to be alone so she left him standing in his bathroom and he smiled softly at her for understanding him. Caroline hurried to her room and peeled off her wet pyjamas, dried off then put dry pyjamas on. Damon took off his soaking suit, dried himself then pulled boxers on and went to bed. He was thoroughly emotionally drained and he passed out quickly. Caroline went back downstairs and Anna looked relieved to see her.

"Is he okay?" Anna asked softly.

"He is now." Caroline nodded. "He just needed to let it out." She said and Anna understood.

"I really want to kill Ric for hurting him like this." Anna muttered and Caroline sighed.

"That's crossed my mind too, but you know that wouldn't make it any better." She said.

"I know." Anna nodded. "I'd never do that to him anyway."

"Because you love him." Caroline gave Anna a knowing look and she sighed and nodded.

"I won't ever act on it, Care." Anna whispered.

"Give it a little time. You never know." Caroline whispered back.

"He won't ever see me that way, but it's okay. I'd rather have him as a friend than not have him in my life at all." She said softly.

"Don't be so sure. I think if there was ever a perfect person for Damon, it would be you." Caroline pointed out as she did think that. She never understood Damon and Alaric together but Damon and Anna... that made sense to her.

* * *

><p>It was the night before Damon and the girls were flying out to go to the Grand Canyon to shoot the commercial. Damon did go out with Chloe again and it was fun but she wasn't a certain history teacher so it wasn't perfect for Damon. Stefan and Caroline were out on a date. Tyler and Anna were out on a date and Damon was past the weepy stage – now he was just pissed. He hadn't seen Alaric since the night he dumped him. Hadn't heard from him either. Caroline had been secretly giving him information that she was getting from Stefan and Damon was really confused. Alaric was apparently a depressed mess. Damon didn't get it. So, he decided to confront him finally and luckily, there was nobody there to stop him. He got ready and made sure he looked extra sexy just to throw it in Ric's face but still not so done up that it looked like he was trying. He parked his car around the corner from Ric's house and it took him like 20 minutes to get up the courage to go to the door, but he did. It took him another five minutes to knock, but he did. Ric opened the door and his jaw dropped.<p>

"Damon." Ric blinked in surprise. Damon could see the longing written all over his face.

"Can I come in?" Damon asked him casually.

"Uh... yeah." Ric said then stood aside. Damon walked in then went over and sat on the couch and Ric sat across from him. Both of them were silent for a few minutes.

"You alright?" Damon asked him.

"Not really, you?" Ric asked.

"Same." Damon nodded. "You ready to fess up yet?" Damon asked.

"What do you mean?" Ric asked confused.

"I know you didn't cheat on me, Ric. I didn't need our bond to tell me you were lying." Damon said.

"It's complicated." Ric said nervously. He didn't know if Klaus was listening or not.

"Look, don't worry. I'm not here to talk you into being with me but I do think I deserve an explanation. You never told me what I did." Damon said seriously and Ric felt like he'd had his heart ripped out at Damon's comment.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Ric said immediately. He figured it was about time he told Damon the truth. But how? He had trusted him completely for so long. How could he not now? He pulled out his phone and text him.

_Don't react at all to what I'm about to text you._

Damon read it and nodded.

"Then what?" Damon asked him continuing their conversation.

_Klaus made me do it._

Damon read it absently and he had to force his face to stay calm. He had so not expected that.

"It just wasn't working out." Ric said and Damon finally understood that Ric was being watched and listened to so he text back.

_You have to explain._

Ric glanced at his phone then text back.

"But why?" Damon asked continuing the charade.

_He has my family being watched. If I didn't do what he said he was going to kill them all. I never meant to hurt you but I couldn't let them die._

Damon read it and he understood – then he was even more pissed at Ric for not telling him sooner.

"Why do you want to talk about this?" Ric asked him.

_What does Klaus want?_

Ric glanced at his phone.

_You. I've spent the last three weeks researching, trying to find a way to kill him._

"Because I do." Damon said annoyed.

_And you couldn't have told me this before? I could have played along!_

Ric could see that Damon was furious at him.

_You can't tell anyone about this. Please. He'll kill them all._

Damon rolled his eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" Ric asked.

_Obviously I'm not going to tell anyone! If I'd known about this, I could have been looking for a way to kill him too instead of being a stupid mess over your idiot ass!_

Ric felt terrible for not trusting him. He knew he'd made the wrong decision.

"I want the truth." Damon said seriously.

_He wants you broken hearted. He wants you to snap. He wants you in his trusted circle and he said he could never have you while you loved me._

"You won't like the truth." Ric replied.

_Then I'll just have to pretend to snap and he'll come to me._

Damon was hurt over this. So very hurt. He understood the logistics of Ric's decision but the fact that Ric had basically handed him over to Klaus and purposely tried to break his heart hurt him more than anything else ever had. He was pretty close to snapping so it wasn't like he'd have to act much.

_We need a plan. How are we going to come up with a plan if we can't talk or see each other? Klaus is watching and listening to everything._

"I don't care. Tell me the truth." Damon said.

_I'll get the ball rolling now. If he's watching, he'll want me to snap so say something terrible._

Ric took a deep breath.

"The truth is..." Ric started then sent a text message.

_I love you, Damon. So I don't mean what I'm about to say. I love you so much._ Damon read it and felt his stomach flutter.

"The truth is I don't love you anymore." Ric said and though he'd just said he didn't mean it, his words still hurt because that was what Damon had feared all along... And he no longer knew what to believe.

"Fine." Damon said then stood up and walked straight out of the house. He was an angry ball of emotions. He was hurt and pissed and vengeful and he did feel like he was going to snap. He was angry at Ric. He was hurt by Ric. He was furious at Klaus. He was worried about Ric's family. But most of all – the monster wanted out...

So he let it out.

Damon sped into a park and grabbed a night jogger and quicker than he had time to think about it, he sunk his fangs into the jogger's neck and before he could register, she was limp and dead in his arms, so he tossed her aside. He revelled in the kill for a moment. It did cross his mind that his mother would be pissed at him for that but he pushed that notion away as quickly as it came to him. He felt the borrowed blood rushing through his body and he felt energized. He'd forgotten what the kill was like and his monster hungered for more. He walked through the shadows in the park, away from the dead girl who he hadn't even looked at. A man jumped out at him with a gun and tried to mug him and Damon laughed then drained him dry and tossed him aside. He knew he was going to have to stop soon or he wouldn't stop.

He remembered that his car was around the corner from Ric's place but he wasn't going back for it so he ran home. He came across a middle aged woman with a gash on her forehead when he was nearly home and he couldn't resist – the blood was calling to him. He tossed her body aside when he was finished. It occurred to him that he wasn't normally so reckless with bodies but he didn't care. He knew now that Klaus was involved, if he didn't give the hybrid what he wanted, Klaus could hurt Stefan, Anna and Caroline and Damon would do anything to avoid that – even kill a whole bunch of innocents. They didn't matter to him but Stefan, Caroline and Anna were everything to him and he would do anything to protect them. Even hand himself over to Klaus. He got in the door and the two couples were there and saw him walk in with blood all over his mouth and chin. He looked up at them and their jaws dropped.

"Damon, what happened?" Stefan asked shocked and Damon shrugged.

"The monster wanted out – so I let him out." Damon said. "Don't start with a lecture, Stefan, because I don't care. What's three less breathers in the world anyway?" Damon asked then walked up the stairs to his room. Stefan, Caroline and Anna glanced at each other, understanding that Damon had just killed three people.

"What was Damon doing tonight?" Caroline asked Stefan worriedly and Stefan's eyes widened.

"Ric." Stefan whispered wide eyed then darted out of the house.

* * *

><p>Stefan barrelled through the front door and could smell Damon all over the place and now it made some semblance of sense. He could hear that Ric was fast asleep upstairs so he sighed in relief then darted back to Damon's house. When he got there, Tyler was gone and the girls were sitting in the living room and Stefan could hear Damon blaring music from his room. He was worried that Damon had flicked the switch. He was worried that Damon was reverting back to the vampire he was when he moved to Mystic Falls. He was just worried.<p>

"Well?" Caroline asked him annoyed when he didn't say anything.

"Ric was asleep but Damon's scent was all over the living room. He went there tonight. Even his car is still there." Stefan whispered.

"Oh, God." Caroline muttered. "Well, we'll just have to get his mind off it when we're away."

"You can't go away with him like this." Stefan said worriedly.

"Stefan, you can't take Damon in a fight. I can. It's better he's away from here." Anna said quietly.

"I'll try to find out what Ric said to him." Stefan nodded.


	20. Author's Note: Sequels

**A/N:**

**So, I've decided that there is so much potential for Damon/Anna in this story that I'm ending this story here. That's why I haven't updated it because I haven't been able to decide on my direction because I have ideas for both.**

**There will be two sequels to it.**

**One will be Damon/Alaric and the other will be Damon/Anna.**

**I'm doing that because I really do want Damon/Alaric to be end game but I _also_ really want Damon/Anna to be end game and I can't decide on one so I'm doing both.**

**That and I got a couple of reviews asking me not to pursue the Damon/Anna potential and I can kind of understand that considering how much build up I put into Damon/Alaric. **

**They will both begin with very similar story lines as Klaus needs to be killed in both instances so if you're reading both, they will be more or less the same to start off with and there will only be a few extra scenes of a difference. That's just so they both make sense.**

**Damon/Alaric sequel will be called: Lost and Found**

**Damon/Anna sequel will be called: Making Up For Lost Time**

**I'll update both soon! :D**


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